


The Enchanted Island

by LilacMoon83



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, Based on the 2006 movie The Island, Basically the movie with Once Characters and Once twists, F/M, Not a Crossover, Snowing - Freeform, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2018-11-22 15:02:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11382624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilacMoon83/pseuds/LilacMoon83
Summary: AU - Day to day routines at the Misthaven Research Facility go on as normal, where people with fairy tale names have no memory of their lives before the great "apocalypse" that made living in this underground place necessary. The dream is to be picked to go to the Enchanted Island. But nothing is what it seems. A Once twist on the movie The Island. Not a crossover. Snowing and moreThis story came to me obviously while I stayed up too late watching the movie "The Island" on cable. This is not an actual crossover. Basically, it's the movie with Once characters and Once twists. No knowledge of the Island is needed to read. This is Snowing with appearances by most Once characters, including Rumple, Regina, Robin, Hook, Lancelot, Leroy, King George, Granny, Red, baby Emma, and more! Obviously this is AU. No magic in the traditional sense that we have come to know with Once.





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time or the 2006 movie "The Island."

AN: This story came to me obviously while I stayed up too late watching the movie "The Island" on cable. This is not an actual crossover. Basically, it's the movie with Once characters and Once twists. No knowledge of the Island is needed to read. This is Snowing with appearances by most Once characters, including Rumple, Regina, Robin, Hook, Lancelot, Leroy, King George, Granny, Red, baby Emma, and more! Obviously this is AU. No magic in the traditional sense that we have come to know with Once. So enjoy and please consider leaving a review!

The Enchanted Island

Chapter 1: Snow Struck

She was sneaking around the compound again, for her curious nature could never be contained. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Thinking it to be a Black Knight, she grabbed the nearest blunt object, which happened to be a rock from the bed of the garden, and hit the man in the face with it. He went down, holding his chin and she quickly saw that he wasn't a Black Knight. Judging by his attire, he was another survivor and his cerulean eyes met her emerald ones. She gasped, fearing she would be a lot of trouble for attacking another resident. But he grabbed her hand. 

"It's okay...I shouldn't have sneaked up on you," he said and she relaxed a little.  
"I haven't seen you before…" she said, though he seemed so familiar for some reason. A smirk played on his lips.  
"David...but most people tend to call me Charming. They tell me I've been in a coma until recently," he said.  
"Charming…" she uttered. Yes, Charming was definitely more suited to him. He seemed just as captivated by her.  
"Do you have a name?" he asked.  
"Snow White," she answered.  
"Snow White," he repeated, like it was best thing he'd ever heard.  
"You should go to the infirmary and get that cut looked at," she suggested.  
"Nah...I hate that place. I'll just clean it myself in my room," he replied. She took his hand.  
"Mmm...I caused it so I should at least treat it for you," she said, as she started leading him away.

"Where are we going?" he asked.  
"My friend Granny has a first aid kit in the back of her diner. I know where she keeps it," she replied.  
"I was told we weren't allowed in that part of the compound. It's Black Knights territory," he warned. She smirked.  
"That's why it will be fun...like an adventure. Granny says sometimes rules are meant to be broken," she offered. He smirked in return. He himself hated rules and broke as many as he could. He thought he was the only one, as all the others always seemed to do as they were told without question.  
"An adventure...sounds fun," he agreed. And it would be. Like a Prince and a Princess on an adventure, just like in the fairy tales they were told…

~*~

Stunning blue eyes opened, as he was roused from sleep for another day. Once again, it was time for his day to day mundane existence in the small community of Misthaven. It had been several years now since a great apocalypse had devastated the earth and all that remained of humans lived here in the vast underground refuge known as Misthaven.  
Many did not talk about what exactly had happened, but everyone was adamant about one thing. You could not go outside or leave the confines of the compound.  
He didn't remember any of it. He had been told he was in a coma for many years until just recently when he finally awoke.  
Upon waking, he had no memories of the disastrous event that had ended life as everyone knew it on Earth. He had brief flashes of his childhood, but nothing more and they told him that was normal. Apparently, many comatose trauma patients never regained their memories. He had been told his name was David, but that everyone called him Charming.

He had integrated into this new society well enough, even though he was full of questions. The Black Knights, who policed their society and kept everyone safe, didn't like questions and their stony expressions were met by him with a charming grin.  
His friends weren't much help either. None of them seemed to remember specifics about how they ended up in this place. But one thing the guards and their King warned; going outside meant certain death. But it didn't make Charming any less curious.

As he had every day since he had been give his small quarters, he performed the same routine. A shower, followed by dressing, which consisted of the same outfit as all the males wore. A black formfitting bodysuit that was made of light, resilient, and comfortable material. The females wore a very similar outfit, only in white.  
Once he was dressed, he exited his room and followed the long blank hallways to the mess hall with all the others. Meal time was among his favorite time, as it allowed him to interact with all his friends.

"Morning mate," his friend drawled, as he came out of his quarters.  
"Morning Hook," he greeted pleasantly. Hook was his best friend and like Charming was his nickname, Hook was a nickname and no one had any idea what his real name was and Hook hadn't offered one. The nickname was coined for him after he lost his hand in the great disaster. Hook didn't remember much about it, except he woke up with no hand and someone had joked he could replace the hand with a hook, like Captain Hook did, whoever that was.  
Of course, that idea was quickly squashed by the black Knights. A hook for an appendage would be far too dangerous and he had been fitted with a prosthetic hand. But the nickname, like his, had stuck.

"Mates...mates!" Robin called, as he caught up to them.  
"Where's the fire, mate?" Hook asked. Robin looked confused and Charming smirked.  
"Fire?" he asked.  
"It's an expression, mate. I heard it from one of the black Knights the other day when I was in a hurry and decided to run down the hall," he explained.  
"Oh...where's the fire. I like it, but you'll never believe what I found this morning," he said in excitement, as he looked around to make sure none of the Black Knights were paying any attention to him. He slid the matchbox open and showed them the contents. Neither Hook or Charming had any idea what it was, but it was alive.  
"What is it?" Charming asked, as he examined the tiny creature.  
"I have no idea, but I found it in the vent. It came from outside," he whispered. Now that intrigued Charming greatly.  
"But how is it alive if it came from outside? The King always tells us that nothing left out there can live," Charming said.  
"Maybe it got caught in the vent before it all happened," Hook suggested. Robin nodded and seemed to find that to be an acceptable answer. But Charming wasn't convinced. His curious nature just wouldn't allow him to accept such a convoluted answer. But for now, he let it go, for drawing the attention of the Black Knights was never good. 

Though Robin became disinterested with the creature and allowed Charming to have it. As he tucked it away for later, for the moment, all thoughts left his mind, but they usually did when he saw her. Her emerald eyes flicked to his briefly, as she stood in line for her morning meal. She was so beautiful and he had been drawn to her since the first time he saw her. Snow White.  
He somehow found himself in line behind her and she smirked.  
"Good morning Charming," she greeted.  
"Morning Snow," he responded, as they were served their meal. He grimaced a bit. It was the same thing every morning. Oatmeal, dried fruit, and a healthy green smoothie which he thought tasted like chalk.  
"Maybe I'll see you later?" she said. He nodded.  
"I hope so," he replied, as he watched her go. He didn't like that the Black Knights made the men eat separately from the women. He didn't understand why, but as usual, no one offered him any answers.

~*~

After breakfast, they all went to work, which consisted of the mundane tasks of working the assembly lines and filling small vials with what the King called potions. From what they had been told, the potions contained nutrients that were vital to their survival. The nutrients were used in the plants they grew for food. He had heard about the gardens. Snow worked in the gardens, but he wasn't permitted to go there. None of the men were. Everyone else accepted it easily enough, but not Charming. He didn't like being told he couldn't do something for no reason.

After work came his favorite part of the day. Recreation time, where they were actually allowed to interact with everyone, exercise, and enjoy fruit drinks that were healthy, but actually tasted good. They weren't allowed anything unhealthy, but the Black Knights were allowed to have whatever they wanted.  
It was no secret that they enjoyed strong drinks at the diner. Only Black Knights were allowed in Granny's diner. The smells that came from it were heavenly though. So heavenly that he had snuck in there one night and tasted the most wonderful confection. Granny had caught him, but actually had not told on him and instead indulged his curiosity and rewarded him with a hot cup of what she called hot chocolate with cinnamon. It was wonderful and ever since that night, which he had told no one about, he had longed to return there. But not alone. He imagined of sharing a cup with Snow, but then he imagined sharing many things with Snow. He wondered if she thought about him as much as he thought about her.

"Here," her brunette friend said, as she sat down at the bar next to her with their smoothies.  
"Thanks Red," Snow said, as she took a sip and then winced.  
"Ugh...apple," she complained.  
"Oh sorry, that one's mine. I forgot that you hate apple," Red remarked, switching their drinks. Snow was much happier with the pineapple flavor. She took a drink and noticed that Charming was almost up to duel and she put her drink down.  
"I'll be right back," she said. Red snorted in amusement and shook her head at her friend.  
Snow cut in line and the dark haired woman behind her scoffed.  
"Dammit Snow…" she hissed.  
"Please Regina...you know how much I love sparring Charming," Snow pleaded. Regina, also known to most as The Queen, rolled her eyes. The Queen title came from Regina's air of superiority and the way she waltzed around like everyone there were her subjects.  
"Why should I care what you want? You're such a spoiled brat," the Queen complained.  
"Oh Regina, relax. Let Snow spar Charming, she's the only one that can actually beat him in a duel anyway," Belle admonished. Regina snorted.  
"Fine, I hope he beats you," she huffed.

Looks like you'll be sparring Snow again," Hook mentioned. Charming looked over to the line and noticed her there and he licked his lips.  
"You sure do stare at her a lot," Robin mentioned innocently.  
"She's beautiful...what's not to stare at?" Charming replied.  
"You're playing with fire. The Black Knights already think you're troublesome," a new voice said. Charming turned to see Rumplestiltskin looking at him with an air of amusement.  
"Playing with fire? Where's the fire? What is this obsession with fire?" Robin wondered, but he was ignored. While Rumplestiltskin was one of them, it was well known that he knew things...things he wasn't supposed to know. Charming had long suspected that he knew how they came to be here and what exactly had devastated their planet. But he never shared much detail, just tidbits in exchange for favors.  
"I don't understand. Why is it dangerous for Snow and me to be friends?" he asked. Rumple smirked like he knew something the rest of them didn't. He always smiled like that though.  
"Oh I think you and I both know you'd like to be more than friends," Rumple surmised.  
"How do you be more than friends with someone?" Robin asked. Hook shrugged.  
"No idea mate," Hook replied.  
"Dimwits," Rumple hissed under his breath, though he knew it wasn't really their fault. They weren't meant to have much development beyond the age of preteen. Since none of them, including him, would live more than a few years. Sometimes he hated knowing the truth.

But something was definitely different about Charming and Snow.  
"What do you mean by more than friends?" Charming asked curiously. Rumple smirked. He didn't like very many people, but he liked Charming and Snow. Probably because they were brave enough to question the world around them. Maybe...just maybe it would be the thing that would save them all, but only if he helped it along by planting the right seeds.  
"Why...true love of course," he said.  
"True love?" Charming asked.  
"True love...the most powerful magic in the world," Rumple replied.  
"How do you know if it's true love?" Charming asked.  
"Oh...you know, because you feel it," Rumple replied. Hook and Robin scoffed.  
"You're a crackpot, Rumple," Hook commented.  
"Yeah...true love," Robin scoffed. But Charming looked even more intrigued than ever and that was enough for Rumple.

~*~

Above the compound, in his tower, George surveyed his creations.  
"This is quite the operation you have here," a voice said from behind him. His latest and newest investor into the project, Xavier Ramirez, observed as his honored guest.  
"And they have no idea?" Xavier asked. George chuckled.  
"Oh no...none whatsoever. They actually look forward to the lottery," George replied.  
"I'm definitely interested, but what you do here is highly illegal," Xavier mentioned.  
"Of course it is. When I started this company, we did everything by the book and it takes a lifetime to get a mature clone when you do it within the law. My wife died of cancer waiting for her clone to be ready for harvest. From that day forward, I decided that no one else would lose a loved one because of time," George stated.  
"So you sped up the process," Xavier inquired.  
"Yes...now we have a mature clone in a matter of year or two. But the vegetative state we kept the early ones in didn't produce results. The organs were harvested and failed. Consciousness seems vital to the success," George explained.  
"So you came up with the post apocalypse story and keep them vastly uninformed," Xavier said. George nodded.  
"We monitor them constantly and do not allow them too much interaction with the opposite sex. They are fed vague stories about their lives before the disaster and it is made explicitly clear that venturing outside the compound means certain death," George continued.

"Quite intriguing. I am very interested, but what is the purpose of the fairy tale names?" he inquired. George chuckled.  
"A bit of whimsy. My wife loved fairy tales," he said, gesturing to a book in his office beneath a glass case.  
"She loved this book and all its tales. They are quite different than the versions many know," George explained.  
"So it is only right in her honor that your creations have these names," Xavier responded.  
"Who is the next lottery winner?" Xavier inquired. George pressed a key and a tall, handsome African American male came up on the screen.  
"Last night, NBA star Billy Gilroy was in a horrific car crash. He needs several organs to survive so that is where Gus comes in," George said, as the doppelganger appeared on screen.  
"Gus? I don't recall that being a fairytale name," Xavier mentioned.  
"Well, when you start running out of main characters, you have to resort to the lesser ones. I believe Gus was one of Cinderella's mice," George replied with a chuckle.

~*~

Charming was really good at dueling. He had beaten everyone he had ever dueled, except Snow. On the occasion where they found themselves paired up, he became captivated by her beauty and fluid grace with the blade. Their blades clashed furiously, as they circled each other and Snow admired the way his muscles flexed beneath the tight material of his uniform. She'd never felt like this about anyone before and it was very new to her.  
They came to a deadlock and he gave her a smirk. It made her heart feel funny in her chest. The first time it had happened, she thought that maybe there was something wrong with it. She had mentioned it to Granny in passing as the woman served her evening meal. But the elderly woman just chuckled at her with a merry smile when she expressed her concern that her heart had skipped a beat.

"Oh girl...there's nothing wrong with it. Hearts are silly things and they can do that around a man, especially a handsome one like that Charming," she had told her. The Black Knights nearby had given Granny very stern looks and she had quieted then. The older woman was always telling them things the Black Knights felt they shouldn't know.  
"Looks like this one might be a draw," he said, as their faces were inches apart. It was hard not to get lost in his blue eyes, but he too seemed captivated by her and she capitalized on it. She swept his feet out from under him and he landed on his back.  
"Maybe next time, Charming," she replied, smirking down at him. He smiled back and she found that curious too. All the other men she bested usually got really angry when they lost to her. But not Charming. He just seemed oddly pleased by it and that's why she always extended her hand to help him up.

They exited the arena and headed to the bar for drinks.  
"Those were some great moves," he complimented. She looked at him coyly.  
"You're not so bad yourself," she replied, as they stared at each other, faces only inches apart again.  
On the outskirts of the room, red sensors beeped on one of the Black Knight's scanners, alerting him to a proximity warning. He rolled his eyes. It was always these two with the proximity. They had noticed on more than one occasion that Snow White and Charming seemed to gravitate toward each other.  
"Proximity warning," he said, stepping between them. David gave him a hard look, as he felt serious disdain at being told to step away from her. It felt wrong. Being near her was the only thing that felt right.

When the guard felt there was acceptable daylight between them, he stepped away and he sighed.  
"So...I went somewhere the other night. Somewhere I wasn't supposed to," he whispered to her. She looked enthralled and looked around to make sure no one was listening.  
"Really? Like on an adventure?" she asked. He grinned.  
"Exactly like that. I can show you," he replied. She bit her bottom lip.  
"We would be in so much trouble if we got caught," she lamented. He frowned.  
"Yeah…" he said and she smiled.  
"Let's do it," she replied. He grinned.  
"Okay…follow me," he said, as he started walking toward the arena. With all the bodies gathered around there, it was the one place where the Black Knight's view was obstructed the most.

Charming waited for the current duel to intensify and Snow felt her heart leap, as he took her hand and sneaked her into the men's locker room. He quickly ducked them into a corner and they hid there, pressed together, for a few moments, until he was sure the coast was clear. She felt hot all over, as his body pressed against hers and seriously was wondering what was wrong with her, for she felt like she could barely breathe.  
"Is...this what you wanted to show me?" she finally whispered. He swallowed thickly.  
"Um...no, it's this way," he whispered back, as he led her through to the other exit. Thanks to the dueling contest, the hallways were mostly deserted and she started to smell something wonderful, as they went through two shiny metal doors.

"Boy...have you lost your damn mind?" Granny exclaimed, as she ushered the two into the kitchen.  
"I'm sorry Granny...but the other night when you let me have hot chocolate, I just knew Snow would love it too," he said. His innocence broke Granny's heart. Their true purpose broke her heart even more and knew their lives were never going to be their own. It was the reason she had indulged this young man the other night.  
As she saw their linked hands, her heart practically cracked in two. Relationships weren't allowed. Hell, most of them didn't even have any concept of attraction or sexual tension. But these two...it was so thick it was almost suffocating and damn it if she wasn't a romantic at heart.  
"Fine...but if you two get caught, you better not rat me out," she warned. He grinned.  
"Never," he promised. She sighed and pointed to a couple of chairs.  
"I'll be right back," she promised.  
"What is this place?" Snow asked.  
"It's the back of Granny's diner," he replied. Her eyes widened.  
"You mean the place where all the Black Knights eat?" she hissed. He nodded excitedly, as they peeked out into the front of the diner, seeing them eating, drinking, and conversing freely. There was even two of the guards in a booth and they had their mouths pressed together. She found that extremely curious and exciting. The two were touching each other too and she felt the desire to touch Charming like that. They seemed to be enjoying the touching and their lips together. Snow wondered what it would feel like to press hers against Charming's.

Before her thoughts could carry to action, Granny returned with two cups and set them down on the counter.  
"There...two cups of hot chocolate, with whipped cream and cinnamon. My secret recipe," she said, as she left them.  
"What is it?" Snow asked.  
"It's a drink...it's amazing, but sip it slowly, because it's hot," Charming replied. She did as he instructed and took her first drink.  
"Mmm...that's wonderful…" she said in amazement. He grinned and took a sip as well.  
"I told you," he replied.  
"Charming...why do you suppose we're not allowed to do the same things as the Black Knights?" she asked. He snorted.  
"I was beginning to think I was the only one that wondered that," he replied. Before they could discuss it further, a compound-wide broadcast began to air on the many prominent viewing screens that existed throughout their home. It was an announcement from their King.

"Good evening, my loyal subjects," George greeted pleasantly.  
"It's time again to choose our next lottery winner. The next person to be chosen to go to the Enchanted Island…" he announced, as the screen was assaulted with images of beaches with pearly white sands, lush forests, vast castles, and crystal blue oceans.  
"And tonight's winner is...Gus!" he announced. The screen panned to Gus, who gasped and accepted congratulatory pats on the back from those around him, as he was excitedly escorted away by the black Knights.  
"Lucky guy," she mentioned.  
"Maybe," he replied.  
"Oh come on, everyone wants to go to the Enchanted Island. It's everyone's dream," she said. He shrugged.  
"I don't know, if I had to choose between going to the Enchanted Island alone and staying here with you, I'd choose here with you," he said. She felt her face go hot and before she could say anything, Granny came rushing back.

"The duels are ending for the night. You two better sneak back to your rooms of you'll be caught for sure," she warned.  
"Thanks Granny," Charming said, as they hurried out. They managed to make it back to the arena without being noticed or seen.  
"Thanks for sharing that with me. It was amazing," she said. He smiled shyly and going on pure instinct, Snow pressed her lips in a quick peck, before scurrying away. Charming stood stunned for several moments and touched his lips, before a goofy smile spread across his face and he returned to his quarters for the night. It had been a good day. The best day ever…

~*~

In the next chapter, Snow and Charming have more dreams and we get a glimpse of their real world counterparts. Charming begins to uncover the truth behind the Enchanted Island and Snow wins the lottery...


	2. Escape From Misthaven

The Enchanted Island

Chapter 2: Escape From Misthaven

Snow hid behind the tree in the gardens, as two Black Knights patrolled. She felt strong hands on her waist and she looked back at him with a smile. When they were out of sight, she took his hand and they hurried down the residential corridor.   
"Hurry," she urged, as she sneaked him into her room. Once the door slid closed, their lips crashed together and hands were everywhere.   
"Charming…" she cried passionately, as he kissed his way down her neck. Sneaking around like this was risky at best, but she knew she'd risk anything for him. And he for her too, because they were hopelessly and irrevocably in love.   
"Snow…" he breathed passionately, as clothes were pulled away with abandon and they found themselves in bed once again, moving together. It was another night of incredible passion and endless lovemaking. Neither could know that in the morning it would all come crashing down upon them.

That morning, they didn't even make it halfway to the dining hall, before Black Knights swarmed them. They fought fruitlessly, as they were pulled apart, while their King looked on smugly.  
"Charming!" Snow cried, as she was ripped away.  
"Snow...I'll find you Snow...I will always find you!" he cried, as he was then hit on the back of the head. Snow cried out, as her beloved fell unconscious and was dragged away. She herself was dragged into a stark white room and strapped down to a exam table. She sobbed and struggled fruitlessly, as the masked doctor prepared a syringe.  
"You're a monster!" Snow screamed, as King George stared down at her smugly.  
"You're positive about the test?" he asked the doctor.   
"Yes...we have confirmed the pregnancy with a blood test," the doctor answered. Snow's eyes widened. Pregnant...she was pregnant. She was going to have their baby.   
"Where is Charming?" she demanded to know  
"Don't worry, my dear. In a few moments, you won't remember ever knowing him," George goaded, as she was injected with the syringe and everything went black...

~*~

New York City

Mary Margaret Blanchard had lived a very good life so far in her relatively young years. She was the darling socialite daughter of Leopold Blanchard, wealthy wall street tycoon, often referred to as the King of Wall Street. But Mary had made a name for herself outside her family name.  
She was an Olympic champion archer, four time Gold medalist, and two time silver medalist. She had been on target for another Olympics, but her health issues had put that on hold.  
Her highly publicized and passionate romance with billionaire playboy philanthropist James Nolan had been rocky since her leukemia diagnosis. Mary knew she was on borrowed time and that's when her nanny urged her to contact the Misthaven research facility. It was expensive, but the facility had success with growing new, healthy organs for its clientele.

She knew James still loved her, but he was struggling with her terminal illness and instead of being there for her, he was pushing her away. Many thought it made him seem like a heartless monster; that Mary had only been important to him for one reason. But she knew different. It hurt her that James had left, but she knew he couldn't deal with the possibility of losing another person he loved. Both his parents had died of diseases beyond his control. He lost his father to alcoholism and his mother to cancer as well. So possibly losing Mary the same way was devastating.  
James, unlike Mary, had grown up poor so when he made his fortune, he sort of became obsessed with the idea of money.  
Before she got sick, they discussed having a child. Mary wanted to be mother very badly, but James was on the fence. He was glad that if he did have a child, he or she would never want for anything like he did. But he was still immature and loved his freedom so Mary had dropped the subject. Only Johanna, her former nanny and now caregiver knew of Mary's desire to have a child.

That's when Johanna convinced her that the Misthaven research facility could help her have the child she so desperately wanted. They were growing new organs for her so why not a child too? Mary agreed and had her eggs harvested and since she wasn't well enough to carry a baby, George Spencer ensured her himself that they had found a worthy surrogate.  
What Johanna didn't tell her though was that she knew the truth. That Mary's healthy organs were actually walking around in a clone of her. That Mary's eggs and James' sperm had failed to create what she wanted. But Snow White's eggs and Charming's sperm had been successful in giving life.  
Snow White, though she had no memory of this, carried the baby and was sequestered in mostly solitude for those months during her pregnancy, with her memories of Charming erased. She carried a healthy baby and delivered it, before having her memory wiped again. Then she was introduced into the general population with the other clones where she would live until the time came that her organs were needed.  
Johanna knew it was savage and her guilt ate at her on a daily basis for knowing and participating in the truth. But she loved Mary like her own daughter and refused to lose her. To her, sacrificing this clone one day to keep her Mary was worth it.

Mary was brought pure joy by her little Emma. She knew James cared for them both and saw Emma every now and then. She was sad that he wasn't interested in settling down, but she wasn't sure someone like James ever could. He had consented to fathering her, after all. And Mary knew him well enough to know that was a gesture of love on his part.  
For the first few months of Emma's life, it seemed that she might beat the cancer. But things did not go well for long. First, there was her father's passing, which had been very difficult, but life had not finished throwing things at her. Her cancer returned full force and she got very sick. Only several organ transplants would save her now and she'd never live long enough on a donor list. She was glad she had listened to Johanna and paid the hefty price tag at the Misthaven research facility, for her healthy organs awaited her, grown from her own DNA, or so she was told. If this worked, she could live to see her baby grow.  
"It's time to make the call to Mr. Spencer," Johanna, her nanny and assistant said. She nodded. She was at death's door now. This operation was her only chance. She stroked her one-year-old's blonde hair, as she held her and picked up the phone.

~*~

Misthaven

Charming awoke the next morning, but things weren't exactly the same as usual. He had been having a very vivid, extremely pleasant dream. Sure, he had dreamt before. But the images were always blurry and a jumble of images that didn't make sense. But sometimes, he dreamt of Snow and last night had been no exception. Except it had been different this time too. It was very vivid and something told him not at all innocent.  
He dreamt about holding her and pressing his lips to hers again.  
Then the dream had turned much less innocent and they were in bed together, completely unclothed...but it had been so wonderful.

Rumple said he would know if it was love, because he would feel it. And he felt it. He loved Snow. His heart flipped in his chest when she looked at him. The thought of her hurt or in danger made his heart feel like it was being ripped from his chest and made him want to fight for her and protect her.  
Dreaming of Snow came with physical reactions from his body and this morning was no different. It had alarmed him the first time it had happened, but he had learned quickly that cold water in the shower took care of the problem.  
He couldn't stop thinking about his dreams though and it was not helping his condition this morning. When he finally managed to compose himself, he dressed for the day and his weekly health scan was performed on him, before he went for morning meal.  
Everyone had weekly physicals. They were told it was make sure none of them had come in contact with any contamination. It seemed odd to Charming.  
He was disappointed that Snow had already eaten and left for the day by the time he got there.

~*~

After breakfast, he decided to sneak off to see his friend that worked as a janitor in the subterranean levels. Leroy was different from the others. He wasn't a black Knight, but he also wasn't like him and the others. Leroy told him things, like Rumple did, but yet Charming felt there was a lot he was holding back.  
Robin had let him take the creature in the tiny box with him, for he found no interest in it. But Charming was fascinated and full of questions. He snuck down to the level below through an open floor hatch he kept hidden and found the man mopping the floor. Charming snuck into the corridor and crouched in the corner.  
"Psst…" he whispered to get the other man's attention. Leroy saw him and looked instantly frustrated.  
"Listen handsome...how many times have I told you that you can't keep sneaking down here!" Leroy hissed.  
"I know...but I found this the other day in one of the vents. Do you know what it is?" Charming asked, as he opened the tiny box. Leroy sighed.  
"It's just a moth," he replied.  
"A moth…" Charming repeated and Leroy nodded.  
"An insect," he clarified.  
"But where did it come from?" Charming wondered.  
"Look Charming...you need to forget about the moth and go back upstairs. You don't belong down here," Leroy growled.  
"But why? I don't understand," Charming protested. Leroy sighed.  
"Look...you and I are different," Leroy tried to explain.  
"I know...but you won't tell me why…" Charming complained.  
"It's complicated and if they find you down here, bad things will happen," he warned. At that moment, they heard some guards and saw them in the a hall a ways down.  
"Go." Leroy urged. Charming sighed and slipped back up into the vent shaft. But he waited until Leroy wasn't looking and hopped back down, before proceeding to secretly explore the stark white corridors.

~*~

He wove his way through the labyrinth of identical halls, fascinated by everything. He passed another door and paused this time, as he recognized the man inside. It was Gus and that perplexed him. Gus was supposed to have left for the Enchanted Island last night. He watched with fascination, as the doctor picked up a scalpel and started cutting Gus' chest open. Suddenly, the man's eyes opened and he screamed. Charming jumped back and hid in the corner. Gus thrashed wildly and pulled at the cords, ripping his IV and burst through the doors. Chaos erupted in the hallway, forcing Charming to hide to avoid detection.  
"No...please!" he cried, as he ran down the hall. But Charming watched in horror, as the Black Knights used their plasma sticks and shocked him. He fell to the floor, disoriented, as they dragged him back into the room, leaving a trail of blood. And if that didn't frighten him enough, he looked in the next room.

He recognized the woman inside. Her name was Milah and she had been with child. Then she won the lottery and they said it was time for her to go the Enchanted Island to have her baby. It was becoming clearer by the moment that everything they knew was wrong.  
He watched in fascination as the doctors held a wriggling baby. He'd never seen a baby before and he was stunned. Milah looked really happy too and reached for the baby. But they didn't give her the baby. Instead, they started strapping her arms and legs down to the table. One of the doctors used a syringe and injected it into a tube that was attached to her.  
Nothing could prepare him for what happened next. She began to convulse violently until her heart rate on the monitor flatlined. He looked on, horrified, as her eyes became frozen open in death. She was dead.  
When his heart stopped hammering in his chest, he peered back into the other operating room where they had taken Gus. He watched with wide eyes, as Gus' organs were removed and packed away. A chill rippled down Charming's spine, as the other man's eyes too were frozen open in death, like Milah's and the heart rate monitor showed a flat line. Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. There was no Enchanted Island.

~*~

Unseen to him, the baby was taken out the other door and into a waiting room where a woman that looked exactly like Milah accepted the baby into her arms. She looked at her husband and they smiled together, blissfully unaware of exactly how the child came to exist for them.

~*~

Charming stumbled backward and ran quickly, finding his vent and climbing back to the the level he lived on.  
Every instinct inside him urged him to find an escape. But he held back...not without Snow. He couldn't leave Snow. It was meal time again already and he hurried to the mess hall, his blue eyes frantically searching for her. Their eyes met across the room and she smiled shyly at him. He started to close the distance between them, but the room became bathed in a golden light and the viewing screens lit up.

"Good evening, my loyal subjects. Tonight, we are having a special lottery drawing," he announced. Everyone around him got excited, but he knew the truth. Winning the lottery meant death. He glared at their ruler. This man, their King, was evil and he knew he was responsible for it all.  
The names spun on the screen, seemingly randomly, until it finally stopped. He felt his heart sink into his stomach.  
"The winner is Snow White!" he announced. Everyone started congratulating her and the guards quickly took her away, as she spared him a last glance.  
No...he had to save her. No matter what it took, he couldn't lose Snow.  
Without another thought, he hurried back to his secret passage and back into the catacombs of the compound.

~*~

"Sir...I have the diagnostics you asked for," Jacqueline said, handing him the file.  
"On Charming, I presume," he replied. She gave a curt nod.  
"I'm afraid his cognitive activity during rem sleep is increasing," she reported.  
"Dreams?" he asked.  
"Yes sir...rather vivid dreams. We believe they are memories," she said.  
"How is that possible? His mind wipe was complete," he demanded to know.  
"We're not sure, Sir. Cognitively he should have no memories of his time with...her," she replied. If he didn't know better, it would have seemed like magic.  
"Schedule Charming for a cognitive reprogramming," George ordered. She nodded.  
"Is there anyone else this is occurring with?" he asked.  
"We're noticing it with Snow White too, sir. But that problem will soon be handled," she replied. He smirked.  
"Yes it will," he stated.

~*~

Charming tore down the hallways in a run, hallways he knew were restricted to him. But none of that mattered. Finding her was all that he could think about.  
He peered into a room and saw her waiting in a chair for them to come get her...to kill her, for what purpose, he didn't know. But she wouldn't know of their intentions until it was too late. He burst in and she looked startled for a moment, but then smiled.  
"Snow…" he uttered, like a caress. She smiled. She had always liked the way her name sounded on his lips.  
"Charming…" she breathed, as he knelt beside her.  
"Snow...we have to get out of here," he urged. She looked confused.  
"What are you talking about?" she asked.  
"We have to escape...our lives, especially yours depend on it," he stressed.  
"Charming...I'm going to the Enchanted Island," she replied. He shook his head with vehemence.  
"There is no Enchanted Island!" he exclaimed and then took a deep breath, as she still seemed confused.

"You remember Gus and Milah?" he asked. Snow nodded. Gus of course won the lottery the night before and Milah a while ago. She remembered her very well. Milah was pregnant and Snow had envied her. A baby...such a wonderful gift. Granny had listened to her many questions about babies and gifted her with a book with the promise not to tell anyone. She read it...how babies were made and blushed the entire time. But then she dreamed of doing the things in the book, not with just any man, but with Charming. Always Charming...and as he took her hands, her heart fluttered again.  
"I remember. He went last night. She went to the Enchanted Island to have her baby a few days ago," Snow said.  
"No Snow...I saw her. She had her baby...and then they took it from her and killed her. And Gus...they cut him open and took his insides. He's dead. They're both dead," he said. She took a sharp breath. He didn't like scaring her, but he had to drive the urgency of the situation.  
"Please believe me...I can't let them kill you. I...I have to get you...us out of here," he stammered.  
"But how? We'll die outside the compound," she said sadly.  
"I don't think so...there's creatures, little insects that fly into the vents. I've seen them...they come from outside, Snow and they're alive!" he said.  
"Alive?" she asked. He nodded.  
"I don't know how or why. Just trust me...please. Do you trust me?" he asked with bated breath.  
"With my life," she realized.  
"Then come with me," he pleaded.  
"Okay," she agreed. He grinned.  
"Okay," he repeated.  
"Can you get us out?" she asked.  
"I think so...follow me," he replied.  
"They'll try to stop us," she warned. He nodded.  
"They will. They'll probably chase us too. We'll be on the run," he warned.  
"Like an adventure," she mused.  
"A scary, dangerous adventure," he warned again. But somehow, that just made her want it more.  
"But we'll be together," she realized. She wanted that. She wanted to be with him all the time. He smiled and led her to the door by the hand.  
"Together," he agreed, as they slipped into the corridor.

~*~

Merely a few seconds later, an orderly came into to collect Snow and immediately shouted to the Black Knights.  
"HEY!" one called, as he spotted them at the end of the corridor. Charming pulled her along into a run, as he dived for the vent he had used to sneak onto this floor. He quickly ushered her down into the vent, before following.  
Red alert lights bathed the facility in a glow as all Knights were alerted to an escape situation. Charming crawled through the vent and led her down to the maintenance level. He kicked out a vent cover and flew out of the shaft, kicking the waiting guard in the face. Reaching up, he pulled Snow out and took her hand, as he ran to the vent where he had seen the moth. He pried the cover off and lifted her into the air shaft. She reached down and pulled him up, as the guards pursued them and bullets narrowly missed them.  
"They're trying to kill us," she feared.  
"Yep," he agreed, as he led them through the labyrinth of are ducts and out into the outer shell of the bunker where a series of metal spires and catwalks awaited them. He took her hand and carefully began the trek across.

"STOP THEM!" they heard a shout. It was George himself, their supposed King. Bullets ricocheted off the metal spokes around them and Charming dodged, pulling her behind a thick, steel spire. She yelped, as a barrage of bullets clinked against the metal. Charming pressed her tightly to his body, as they waited for it to stop. For several meaningful seconds, they gazed at each other, captivated by what seemed like magic between them. His arms around her felt so perfect to her. Holding her was the only thing that felt right to him. Perhaps he was greedy, but he wanted more. He remembered his dream from the previous night. Them together, tangled beneath the sheets...and them together with a child. He wanted that and with determination to give her that life, he ducked out from hiding and pulled her along the final expanse of the precipice. Charming burst through the final outermost hatch of the subterranean prison. He helped her through and the wide expanse of the vast forest met their vision. They breathed the clean air.

"There's no contamination," Snow realized.  
"I don't think there ever was," Charming agreed.  
"Where do we go?" Snow asked, as he led her down a steep, grassy knoll.  
"I made friends with one of the custodians," he said, as he showed her the matchbox.  
"The Rabbit Hole?" she read the words.  
"I think it's a place. Maybe he's there. It's a start anyway," he said.  
"Do you think he'll help us?" she asked.  
"I don't know. I...I hope so," he replied, as they continued walking, hands clasped through the forest, until they finally reached the road. Something very fast with a person riding it sped by them and they looked on in wonder.  
"What was that?" Snow asked.  
"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure I want one," Charming replied, as they continued traveling along the road. The sun was quickly setting and they knew when they came upon a sort of ruined structure clearing, they decided it was a good place to sleep for the night. She shivered, as the night air began to cool and she felt drawn to his warmth.

"It's getting cold," she mentioned, as they huddled against one of the trees.  
"I can keep you warm…" he replied. She smiled and snuggled against him and he was positive that nothing had ever felt so right as her in his arms.  
"We should sleep," he said.  
"Mmmhmm…" she hummed, as she pressed her lips to his. It was almost sensory overload, but he was spurred on to kiss her back with an eagerness and passion he had never know. Her taste, her scent, her touch, her body pressed against his...he had never wanted anything so badly. Their lips finally parted, leaving them both breathless. She smiled at him and cuddled close, resting against his chest, as they fell asleep in each other's arms.

~*~

Two black SUV's pulled up to the Misthaven research facility. Several men got out of the vehicles and a large African American man took point, as he met the owner, George Albert Spencer, who was waiting for him.  
He was a mercenary by trade, disgraced from his native military for disobeying his General and former best friend, Arthur King.  
Lance Knight had read about this facility. It was said that happy endings were created inside this complex, at least, for those that could afford it. The official story was that they grew healthy organs for their clients, so when he got the call that said organs had grown legs and escaped, he was a bit astonished.  
Cloning was an ethics conundrum. Cutting up clones to harvest the organs for their counterparts was cold blooded murder. But Lance was a mercenary. He was hired to hunt down these clones and return them alive. If it got out that Spencer was creating clones for sacrifice, he'd not only be ruined, but he'd go to prison for life.  
"Thank you for coming so quickly," George greeted with a handshake.  
"I understand there is some urgency," Lance stated.  
"Then you've been briefed on the situation?" George asked.  
"That you're secretly cloning people here at this facility and have two escapees that could ruin you?" he asked. George's jaw tightened.  
"Yes, I understand. My men and I will start tracking them at dawn. There will be no finding anything in the darkness of the forests of Maine though," Lance stated.  
"Fine, but you must not wait any longer than that," George stressed.  
"I will do my job. You do yours," Lance replied shortly.


	3. Echoes of Yesterday

The Enchanted Island

Chapter 3: Echoes of Yesterday

Snow was dreaming again. It was a very good dream and one she'd been having recently. She was in bed with Charming again and she had never felt more safe and loved. She had never felt so much pleasure as to when they were one like this, with him moving inside her and kissing her all over.   
Then the dream changed though to something new. This time, she was in a bed still, but it was different. Charming wasn't there and there were doctors all around. And pain...so much pain and she was pushing. It was agony, but then joy...pure joy, as a doctor cradled a wriggling baby girl. Snow was crying and reached for the baby. Her baby...Charming's baby, though how she knew that, she had no idea. But she just knew, for who else would she ever want to have a baby with?   
But the doctor just stared wordlessly at her and did not give her the baby. She reached again, but then felt a prick in her arm, as a nurse injected her with something. And then everything went black...

~*~

As dawn encroached on the darkness, Charming opened his eyes and couldn't help but smile at the sight of Snow's head pillowed against his chest. But as much as he hated to wake her, they needed to keep moving. They would need to find food and water soon. He licked his dry lips and gently brushed his thumb over her cheek. She mewled in her sleep and he was sure it was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. Her emerald eyes fluttered open and he became simply captivated, as she stared up at him with a sleepy face.  
"Good morning," she murmured. He smiled.  
"Good morning...I hate to wake you, but we should probably keep moving," he said. She sobered.  
"No...you're right. We need to go," she agreed, as they got up and stretched. Snow smiled, as a few creatures scurried nearby. She recognized them from a book Granny once gave her and remembered they were called rabbits. She heard a chirping in the tree above them and looked up to see a pretty bluebird. She cocked her head to the side, as it seemed to chirp directly to her. If she didn't know better, she would swear it was telling her good morning.  
They started out toward the road again, hand in hand. Snow thought about the dream she had and wondered if she should tell Charming about it. Because she was unsure now if was just a dream...or a memory.

~*~

Lance awoke at dawn and gathered his men. George watched from the tower, as several black SUV's moved out on the trail of the escapees. If they didn't find them and word got out, he would be ruined. Not to mention, he would probably go to prison.  
No...the mercenary would find them. He had to. He got the feeling Lance didn't approve of his operation, but George was confident he would do his duty.  
After almost an hour of walking, they came upon a sign.

~*~

"Welcome to Storybrooke," David read, as they continued on and soon realized they were in a town. There were a few people out and about and they seemed to stare at the couple, as they walked down the street and passed a clocktower. It was a very quaint place and Mary's thoughts drifted back to the baby in her dream. She wondered what it would be like to live in a quiet place like this with Charming and a baby.  
They came to another structure on the far end of town. This one was a bit rundown. He was hoping they could find water here, for they both desperately needed it.  
"Charming...the sign looks like the one on that box," Snow said.  
"The Rabbit Hole...this is it," he said.  
"Do you think your friend is here?" she asked.  
"I don't know...I guess there's only one way to find out," he replied, as he gripped her hand and they walked inside.

Almost all eyes turned to them, as they walked in and it was probably the most unnerving thing he'd ever felt. He also felt something else...protectiveness, as he saw most of the men's eyes wander over Snow and he followed the urge he had, putting his arm around her waist. They approached the bar.  
"And what can I do for you?" the man behind the bar asked with amusement. David wasn't sure why they all seemed on the verge of laughing. He supposed they stuck out a bit, as their clothing was very different, but he didn't see why that was funny.  
"We've been walking for a while. We were hoping we could get some water?" he asked. He eyed them suspiciously again, before filling two glasses and setting them on the bar. They drank thirstily, downing the liquid in seconds.  
"Thank you...we're also looking for someone. He comes here I think. His name is Leroy," Charming said. The bartender pointed and he looked, seeing Leroy in the corner with a woman. He hadn't noticed them yet, but they needed to talk.  
"I'm going to talk to Leroy, I'll be right back," he promised, as he still noticed many men staring at her. He felt a spark of possessiveness and kissed her cheek. She smiled, as she watched him go across the bar. Her attention was pulled away by a presence she felt behind her and she crinkled her nose. This man, who was now very close to her, didn't smell pleasant at all.

"Hey doll face," he leered, as she took a step back from him.  
"Hello," she said, trying to be polite. He made her feel uneasy though. He was staring at her, but not in the same way Charming stared at her. She liked it when Charming looked at her. It made her heart flip and her stomach flutter. But all this man's stare gave her was a sick feeling.  
"My name's Keith. What do they call you...other than gorgeous?" he purred.  
"I'm Snow White," she answered, as chuckles ensued. She frowned. Why was her name funny?  
"Well...Snow White, how about I buy you a drink and then I can be your Prince Charming," he leered, as the other men around him laughed.  
"You're not Charming...my Charming is over there," she replied, as she pointed to him. More laughs ensued and she frowned again.  
"Well...we could always pretend," Keith leered, as he tried to put his arms around her.  
"No," Snow said. Granny had made sure she knew that word after an incident where one of the newer Black Knights had tried to put his hands on her once.  
She had never told Charming about that, for the man had been stopped by another Knight by the name of Graham. She hadn't seen the new Knight after that incident and Graham, one of the nicer Knights, had told her he got fired, whatever that meant.  
Granny instructed her to use the word loudly if something like it ever happened again and fight if she had to. Keith didn't seem to hear the word and tried to touch her again.  
"NO!" she shouted again and kneed him between his legs.

~*~

The brunette woman giggled at him.  
"You are terrible, Leroy," Astrid giggled.  
"Well, let's go home and I'll show you how terrible I can be," he leered, as he downed his drink.  
"Leroy…" a voice said and the bearded man turned around. All the color drained from his face.  
"What the hell…" he uttered.  
"How the hell are you here?" he hissed.  
"We escaped," Charming replied. Leroy's eyes widened.  
"We?" he asked, as he saw Snow across the room.  
"Holy fuck…" he cursed.  
"Leroy...there's no Enchanted Island," Charming said.  
"Of course there's not," Leroy spat.  
"You knew?" Charming asked.  
"Yeah, but it's not exactly something I can talk about," he growled.  
"I saw Milah having her baby and then they killed her. And they killed Gus too," Charming explained. Leroy sighed.  
"That's what they do, brother," Leroy stated.  
"It's murder," Charming hissed.  
"Yeah...well, when you got enough money, you can pretty much do anything," Leroy muttered.  
"Snow got chosen for the lottery and I couldn't let them kill her. I...I love her," Charming explained.  
"Oh holy hell...Astrid, go wait in the car," Leroy hissed. She did so, just as Snow kneed Keith between his legs and they rushed over.

"Bitch!" he spat. Charming glared at him and shoved him away from her, now standing protectively in front of her. Leroy tossed some cash on the bar.  
"These two ain't worth it, Keith, trust me. Let's go," he growled to them. Charming kept glaring, but took her hand and followed Leroy out the back way.  
"Get in," he snapped, as they climbed into the back seat of the vehicle.  
"I'm so getting fired for this," Leroy grumbled, as he peeled off down the road and they arrived soon at a trailer home.  
"Baby...run to the store and grab some bottled water and food. They're gonna need it being on the run," he said.  
"You've got such a big heart for a grumpy guy," she gushed, as she drove off to do what he asked.

"Inside," he grumbled, as Snow and Charming followed him.  
"You two stick out like a couple of sour thumbs in those jumpsuits," Leroy said, as he started digging through the closet.  
"You're way taller than me and my stuff won't fit you, but my buddy Will is always leaving his crap here," Leroy said, as he dug out a pair of his jeans and a flannel shirt.  
"Put these on," he said shortly. Charming pulled his top off and Snow felt her cheeks burn, as she stared at his bare torso.  
"Now for you, sister," Leroy grumbled, as he started digging through Astrid's side of the closet.  
By the time Charming had put the jeans on and buttoned up the flannel shirt, Leroy was chuckling, as he held up several of Astrid's outfits to Snow, like a nurse outfit and a couple of lacey ensembles.  
"Leroy!" Astrid scolded, as she returned.  
"Boys out," she snapped, as she handled him the grocery bag.  
"Ah, I was just having some fun, baby," Leroy complained, as he started packing the supplies in a backpack for them.  
Astrid rolled her eyes and pulled out a couple things.  
"Okay sweetie...these should fit," she said, tossing the jeans to her. Snow undressed and put the jeans and white t-shirt on.  
"Oh and here...this was never a good color on me, but it matches your eyes," she said, handing her a green cardigan. Snow put it on.  
"Thank you...for helping us," Snow said.  
"Sure honey," Astrid replied kindly.

"Okay...you got food and water to get you by for a while," he said, as he got some cash out of his secret stash. Leroy did a lot of odd jobs and was usually paid under the table in cash. He loved the idea of not having to report it and it was his way of sticking it to the government.  
"Now, this is money. You'll need it to purchase things," Leroy explained.  
"There's gonna be people after you two," he warned.  
"Why?" David asked. Leroy sighed.  
"Cause you two are clones," he said bluntly, as they stared at him in disbelief.  
"You have counterparts out here in the real world. Your rich counterparts paid to have you created so when they get sick or whatever, you two are there to provide spare parts," he explained.  
"And they need Snow's? David asked.  
"Yeah...her counterpart is really sick. Mary Margaret Blanchard is her name and they need Snow's organs to save her," Leroy said.  
"And me?" he asked.  
"James Nolan...he's a billionaire playboy, also lives in New York City. He's fine for now, but when his liver finally gives out from all the drinking he does, that's where you'll come in," Leroy explained.  
"And they're okay with murdering us?" Charming asked. Leroy snorted.  
"Maybe...maybe not. But they don't really know. What George does is highly illegal and immoral. They think he's just growing organs in some amniotic sac in a lab. They don't know the parts come from walking and talking human beings. If it gets out that he's cloning humans for organ harvesting, it will ruin him. He's probably hired highly trained mercenaries to hunt you two down. Don't trust anyone," Leroy said, as he ushered them back into his car.  
"I'm gonna put you two on a train to New York City. Your only chance is to find your counterparts. If they have a moral bone in their bodies, they'll be appalled," Leroy said.  
"Do you think they'll help us?" Charming asked.  
"Honestly? No...be prepared to keep running, handsome or you and your girl here are dead," he warned. Snow sought his hand at that and he squeezed it gently.

~*~

Lance walked into the Rabbit Hole and peered around. His presence was already unnerving the patrons, but this is where they had tracked Snow and Charming's footprints to.  
"What can I do for you?" the bartender asked with a quiver in his voice. Lance pulled out his phone and showed him the photos.  
"I'm looking for these two. Have you seen them?" Lance asked.  
"Um...yeah, they were in here. They asked for water and then left with Leroy," the bartender said. Lance's eyes widened.  
"Leroy?" he questioned.  
"Leroy Miner...he works as a janitor at some fancy research facility. That's where those freaks came from, ain't it?" Keith asked. But Lance didn't respond.  
"I think he was going to help them," Keith added. Lance dialed a number on his phone.  
"Run the name Leroy Miner and check for credit card activity," Lance said, as he and his men got back into their vehicles and drove off.

~*~

They arrived at the train station and followed Leroy inside. Snow sought Charming's hand, as they looked around in wonder. There was so many people and potentially all could be enemies to them.  
Leroy approached the window and purchased two tickets to New York City and handed them to Charming.  
"These will get you to New York. Then it's up to you to find your doubles. James Nolan is heir to Nolan Technologies, but he's rarely at the office. Your best bet is to find his house. Rumor is it's a lake house, a bit upstate," Leroy explained.  
"And me?" Snow asked.  
"Mary Margaret Blanchard...heard she's a nice woman. You might have some luck if you find her," he replied.  
"And if they won't help us?" she asked. He looked at them both.  
"Then you better keep runnin'," Leroy said, as he noticed several men enter the train station and instinctively, he knew these men were trouble.  
"Shit...go, get on that train. Ask them to show you to your cabin and hide," he hissed, as they boarded.  
"Thanks Leroy...we'll never forget this," Charming said, as he took Snow's hand and they boarded.

"Can you show us to our cabin?" Charming asked the ticket attendant. He eyed them and smirked at the way they held each other.  
"Just can't wait, huh? Yeah, suppose I couldn't either with someone like her," he said.  
"Go straight back, cabin twelve," he said. Charming nodded and pulled Snow along in a hurry.  
"Young love," he mused, as several men started combing through the train.  
"Excuse me, can I see your boarding passes?" the attendant asked.  
"We're looking for two fugitives and it would be in your best interest to move aside," Lance said sternly. The man wisely did as he asked, as they started searching the cabins.  
"What are we going to do? They'll find us in here," Snow panicked. He looked around and spotted a hatch in the ceiling. He opened it up and found a small space, probably used to store luggage.

"It will be a tight squeeze, but it's our only chance," he said, as he hoisted her up and she climbed in. She then reached down and helped him up, as he closed the hatch. It was extremely close quarters and they were pressed tightly together, faces mere centimeters apart. Snow attempted to calm her breathing, but with him this close, feeling his hard body against hers, was making it very difficult. They heard someone burst into the room and she jumped. He pulled her tightly against him, holding her and she buried her face against his neck, hoping they would not be found. At this point, she was pretty sure they would not need to kill her if they were found. Being separated from him would do that.  
"This one's empty too," they heard a male voice say.  
"Keep searching," Lance ordered, as he looked around the cabin. These two were proving to be far more formidable than he had originally thought. But their knowledge of the real world was limited. He would find them.

Finally, they left and both Snow and Charming let out of breath of relief. They stayed holed up in the tiny compartment for a little while longer and once the train started moving, he opened the hatch and jumped down. Reaching up, she put her legs through first and he grabbed her waist, pulling her down. They stayed in each other's arms for several moments, simply gazing at each other until the proximity and adrenaline finally overwhelmed them and sent their lips crashing together.  
Need curled in her stomach and desire pooled in her. These sensations were so very new and her body's reactions were startling, but welcomed since it was Charming that was the reason for them. The backs of her knees hit the bed and she welcomed his weight pinning her down, as their lips moved over each other's passionately. Snow slid her fingers into his hair, as he trailed kisses down her neck, just like he had done in his dreams. But this was better than any dream had ever been. Before it could go further, they heard a message over the intercom, indicating their arrival in New York City was imminent.

"We...we should get ready to leave," she stammered.  
"Yeah…" he breathed, as they got up and started straightening their clothes and mused hair. He shouldered the bag they had brought with provisions and smiled, as they joined hands, lacing their fingers together.

~*~

George surveyed the day to day operations of his facility from his tower office. In hindsight, letting Snow and Charming anywhere near each other had obviously been a mistake. But the artificial attempts to create a baby from their DNA for Ms. Blanchard had failed. He should have told her it wasn't possible, but his greed had hindered his judgement.  
Instead, they had allowed Snow and Charming's obvious attraction to flourish in the first few months of their lives. They allowed them to discover their sexuality and soon, they thought they were sneaking off together, unbeknown to all. For those few weeks, love bloomed between them and with that came was George hoped for. Snow became pregnant. They were separated then and their minds wiped of the memories of their time together. Snow was sequestered until she gave birth and then her mind was wiped again, before she was re-integrated into society. The product...the baby girl was then delivered to Mary Margaret Blanchard, much to the woman's pure joy. A happy customer was good for business and he had assured her when the time came and she needed a transplant, her organs would be ready.  
But now he may have to tell her that her viable organs were no longer an option if Snow was not captured in time. It made George livid. The memory wipe should have made those two idiots oblivious to their feelings, but somehow they still gravitated around each other like the sun and the moon.

"True love cannot be so easily quashed, dearie," Rumplestiltskin warned. George grimaced. Another of his creations that he regretted. For some reason, from the moment of his consciousness, Rumpelstiltskin knew everything about the entire operation and the truth. When asked how, the imp simply tottered on about magic. It was ludicrous, but George didn't have any other explanation. Despite knowing the truth, Rumple didn't tell anyone what he knew, but his general fondness for Snow and Charming was irksome.  
"They're clones...they can't love," George refuted. The imp let out an amused, high pitched giggle.  
"On the contrary, dearie. Those two are special and they created something this world is so very void of," Rumple retorted.  
"And what's that?" George snapped.  
"Magic," Rumple stated, most pleased by the turn of events.  
"Listen, you twisted little imp. This is my operation. I am the puppeteer and you are the puppet. Get back to your place," George hissed. The imp giggled again.  
"Of course, of course. You're the puppeteer," Rumple parroted, but his tone spoke more like he was questioning that. And George again wondered about this strange anomaly. If he didn't know better, it would almost seem like the imp really was the one pulling all the strings. But that was impossible...wasn't it?

~*~

Snow found herself holding onto Charming's arm tightly, as they waded through the streets of New York City. There were so many people, more people than she imagined existed. Their entire lives had been a lie. There was no apocalypse. They were clones; copies of people that paid for their creation and eventual sacrifice. She shuddered and felt Charming slip his arm around her waist.  
"It's going to be okay, Snow. We're going to make it," he whispered, as they trudged along.

"Charming...look. A directory! That's the thing that Leroy said might tell us where our counterparts are," she said, pointing to the terminal near a set of stairs that appeared to lead underground. That made her shiver again, for they had existed only underground for all their lives. They both stared at the screen and she pressed the directory button on the screen, bringing up an on screen keyboard. Fortunately, technology wasn't something they were completely unfamiliar with for the compound of their previous home had been equipped with high end technology. He typed in the name James Nolan and hit enter. The name and address came up right away, along with a photo and Charming found himself staring at his own face with fascination. Snow took a scrap of paper from the satchel and a pen, jotting down the address. She then yelped, as a bullet ricocheted off the metal terminal and she found herself in his arms. They saw the dark skinned man and his men heading toward them and knew instinctively that these were the mercenaries Leroy had warned them about.

"Come on," he urged, as he took her hand and the descended the stairs into the subway. Lance and his men gave chase, as the two fugitives sprinted, just as a large underground train sped in and slowed, as people piled on and off. He glanced over and saw Lance and his men in the distance. He grabbed Snow's hand and dodged toward the train, as they got on and disappeared into the people. Unfortunately, Lance and his men followed. Charming kept leading her through car after subway car.  
"Charming...they're gaining," she said worriedly. As the subway started to slow again, they ran to an exit and back into the subway tunnel. They ran back up the nearest set of stairs and dodged into an dingy, empty alleyway. Snow glanced back and saw them still following. Charming didn't have to answer, but a familiar voice called to them.

"In here, dearies…" a man called from an back door opening.  
"Rumplestiltskin?" Charming asked in disbelief, as they hurried inside. They gazed around curiously at the items and trinkets that littered the backroom.  
"Oh no...I'm his counterpart, dearie. You can call me Mr. Gold," he responded. Charming guarded Snow, as they stepped back.  
"If you have a clone...then why would you help us?" Charming hissed.  
"My purposes for my clone are very different from most. I mean you no harm. In fact, I wish to help you escape," he replied.  
"Why?" Snow asked. He smirked.  
"Let's just say...I'm a fan of true love or rather, what it creates," he responded cryptically.  
"We need to find my counterpart," Charming said.  
"I agree...but he won't help you, dearie. You'll have to make the decision...him or you," Gold replied. His eyes widened.  
"You want me to kill him?" he asked in disbelief.  
"James Nolan's liver has six months left at best. Without having you cut up, he's a dead man anyway. And believe me, he'll have no qualms about taking your life," Gold replied.  
"We're not killers," Snow protested.  
"Suit yourself. I can get you to his mansion and then the rest will be up to you, dearies," he said, motioning them to follow, as he limped along with his cane. Rumplestiltskin didn't use a cane so it was clear to tell now that they were two different beings.

~*~

Mr. Gold drove them to the Harbor and thankfully, it seemed they had lost the mercenaries for the moment. Standing on the dock, next to a large ship, was another man they recognized.  
"Hook?" Charming asked.  
"Not Hook. Killian Jones. That's where your friend's hand went," Gold replied, as they noticed this man indeed had two flesh hands. Snow clutched his arm and he turned his head, pressing a kiss to her hair. Wearily, they got out of the car and followed Gold, as Killian's eyes swept over the pair.  
"Is this the cargo?" he asked.  
"Yes...see that they arrive safely at James Nolan's waterfront mansion," Gold replied, as he handed the briefcase to the other man. Killian opened it and was satisfied with the cash content.  
"Welcome aboard the Jolly Roger," he said, as he motioned them onto the ship. Gold watched them set sail with a satisfied smirk. All was going exactly as planned.

~*~

"The trail goes cold at the Harbor," the man reported.  
"Then that means they took to the water," Lance stated, as he viewed the list of possible locations from that particular dock.  
"Here...this is where they're going," Lance said.  
"How do you know?" the subordinate asked.  
"Because this property belongs to none other than James Nolan," he said, as they commandeered a boat and set sail...


	4. Face to Face

The Enchanted Island

Chapter 4: Face to Face

George Spencer put on his best face and shook Johanna's hand, as they arrived at his facility. Mary Margaret Blanchard held the small blonde child, as she was helped into a wheelchair. She was already too weak to walk and she looked to be at death's door. They had mere hours, before it would be too late for any transplant to work. If Lance didn't come through and return his property very soon, he knew there would be hell to pay.  
"Miss Blanchard, it is lovely to see you. I just wish the circumstances were better," George greeted. She nodded with a thin smile.  
"As do I, Mr. Spencer," she replied.  
"And this must be little Emma," he said, as he looked at the tiny girl, who hid her face in her mother's chest.  
"It is...my pride and joy," Mary agreed.  
"Come. There are preparations to make and our facility has accommodations prepared for your daughter and her nanny as well," he said, as she was led inside the top level of the facility.

~*~

The boat gently lapped along the waves. The Captain of the ship had allowed them to use the ship's cabin to take a nap. They hadn't slept since the night before and that had been in the forest so it wasn't at all a restful sleep. But this wasn't proving to be much better, as they were both plagued with dreams, which they were convinced were memories

~*~

Snow giggled, as she felt his hand slide down her back, while their lips moved passionately together in a rhythm that was quickly becoming their favorite dance. They had sneaked away from their posts again and made love several times, tucked away in her quarters. Red and Hook were covering for them though, so they hoped no one was any the wiser. Not that either of them could be bothered to care if they were. They were in love and didn't understand how that could ever be bad. The apocalyptic event that had made this way of life necessary had a very strict set of rules. Their King insisted they operate under this martial law for their own protection. What they were doing was expressly forbidden, but love never followed any set of rules and they weren't about to give up something this amazing because of some rule.   
"Charming…" Snow cooed, as he kissed her neck.  
"Mmm…" he responded, as their eyes met.  
"Do you think we'll ever be free someday? Will we ever be able to leave this place?" she wondered.   
"I hope so...the way I figure, the world can't be contaminated forever. If I was sure going out there didn't mean certain death for us, I'd take your hand and we'd leave right now," he replied. She smiled.  
"It would be wonderful not to live underground...to be free to be together whenever we want," she mused. He smiled and pecked her on the lips.  
"Someday, my love...someday we will have that. I'll take you somewhere far from here. We'll find a little town, like in the books you read. It will be by the ocean and we will...have a family," he said. She smiled at that.  
"Do you really think we could ever have something so wonderful?" she asked. Oh how she wanted to believe it.  
"I do...I have faith and so should you," he replied, as he kissed her again. Oh, it was a wonderful dream, but then like all her dreams, it quickly changed to something terrible.

This time, Charming was gone and she was confined to her quarters. Her belly was quite distended and she glared at King George, as he entered her room with a smug smirk on his face.  
"Well...how is our lovely surrogate today?" he goaded.  
"Where is Charming? You can't keep me from him...he deserves to know about our child!" she cried.  
"Charming doesn't even remember you," George said coldly. Her face fell and she felt empty inside, his words had dealt her a blow she almost could not bare.   
"You're lying!" she cried, as the tears came.  
"No my dear...his memory of you has been completely wiped away. And as soon as you deliver this child, so shall yours. It's best this way...you can't keep her, after all," he stated.  
"She's mine...Emma is ours! You can't do this!" she sobbed.  
"Sedate her immediately. The stress isn't good for the baby," he ordered, as two orderlies restrained her. She cried and fought, but then she felt nothing, as her vision went black…

~*~

Snow awoke with a start and she saw Charming was already awake.  
"Hey...another nightmare?" he asked. She nodded wordlessly and rested her head on his chest.  
"They're not dreams, Charming...they're memories. I'm sure of it," she cried.  
"Tell me," he requested.  
"It's very happy at first. We're together...making love and then it changes. I'm alone...in a room and George is there. I'm...I'm pregnant and he tells me that you no longer remember me. And then he tells me that I can't keep her...I can't keep Emma," she cried. He kissed her forehead.  
"Emma…" he said reverently.  
"Our baby...I named her," she sniffed. He smiled.  
"Emma," he repeated with more certainty.  
"Do you like it?" she asked.  
"I love it," he replied.  
"Charming...what if we never find her? What if we never find our baby?" Snow lamented.  
"We will...we will find her. I have faith," he assured her and she smiled at that.  
"I love you," she gushed.  
"And I love you too, my darling," he replied.  
"We should probably go above deck. I think I can feel us slowing," he mentioned.

"Charming…" she said, as she grabbed his hand, before he could go above deck and he turned to her.  
"What happens if your...if James doesn't want to help us?" she asked. He sighed and laced his fingers with hers.  
"Then we keep going. If keeping you safe means running for the rest of our lives, then that's what I will do. If he tries to hurt you...then I'll have no choice," he said. She nodded.  
"I don't want to make that choice, but if I'm honest, it's already made. And it's you, Snow. I'll always choose to fight for you...for us," he confessed. She closed the distance between them and he folded her into his arms, as he kissed her passionately. As their lips parted, she gazed into his eyes.  
"I've been having dreams too," he blurted out.  
"What kind of dreams?" she asked. He caressed her face.  
"Dreams of being with you. We're in bed…" he said, with a fondly, enjoying her coy smile.  
"I've had those dreams too," she said, as she looked up at him.  
"But like yours, mine also turned bad," he said, as she frowned.  
"What happened?" she asked, though she had a pretty good idea.  
"We were together and then George ripped us apart. Then I was in a room and they had me strapped down. I was calling for you...but he said in a few moments, I'd forget I ever knew you," he confessed, as tears streamed down her cheeks.  
"These aren't dreams. We met before...we were in love and then they took our baby away," she cried.  
"They're memories and they erased them...or tried to," he realized, as she looked at him.  
"I think so…" she said, swallowing thickly.  
"We'll find her, Snow. We'll find Emma and then I'm going to make good on that promise. We'll be free and live in a little town by the ocean. We'll raise our baby and maybe even have more," he said. She smiled and their lips met again, as he picked her up and spun her around.  
"We're getting ready to dock!" Killian called. He placed her on her feet and they joined hands, emerging from below to face what was to come.

~*~

"And I told you that if you can't handle the deal, then I'll find someone else who can," James Nolan snapped, as he discussed a business deal on the phone. He made his way to the liquor tray in his living room and poured himself a drink.

"Just get it done. If we lose this deal, because of your incompetence, then you're fired," he growled, as he hung up the phone and then let the stinging liquid slide down his throat. He wasn't supposed to be drinking at all and most of his foul mood had little to do with this deal. It was Mary Margaret. No woman had ever gotten under his skin like her. He had a well known reputation as a womanizer and the last woman he had gotten pregnant had easily been made to disappear with a very large check.  
But Mary Margaret had been different from the beginning. James Nolan didn't love anyone...he didn't let himself. After his parents untimely deaths due to alcoholism and cancer, he promised he'd never let himself feel love for anyone else again. Then he met Mary Margaret Blanchard and a whirlwind romance had ensued. She was well aware of all this character flaws and loved him anyway. He had actually considered finally settling down and marrying her. Then she was diagnosed with cancer. He had visited her, but his selfishness to protect his own heart had led him to mostly closing her off. When he found out about Emma, he had promised his support and did love his daughter. But it was too painful for him...especially now that Mary was dying. He was hoping that she could be saved, just as he hoped he could when his own liver gave out. If Mary died, there would be this tiny human dependent only on him and he wasn't the kind of man for that job.

He cursed when he heard the doorbell ring, having given the butler the day off. He didn't like witnesses when he was in one of his drunken, self pity streaks.  
He stalked to the door with the bottle of scotch in hand and when he opened it, he was stunned to find a man that was identical to him standing there with a woman that looked exactly like Mary Margaret. If he didn't know that she was at the Misthaven research facility, he would have thought it was her.  
"What the fuck…" he uttered, as the bottle of liquor crashed to the floor.  
"I...I know this has to be a shock," Charming said, as he held his hand up, just as the other clutched Snow's hand.  
"Shock? Why the hell do you look like me? And her…" he said, gazing at the raven haired beauty.  
"I'm...well I guess you could say I'm the organs you paid for," Charming said.  
"By the look on your face...I'd say you didn't know," Snow added. James turned away to hide the fury on his face. If Spencer had lost control, then that meant Mary wouldn't be getting the organs she needed to survive.

"I suppose you should come in. Help yourself to a drink," he said, as he poured himself another. But the two sat down uncomfortably on the edge of the sofa. He took notice of how they had not let go of each other's hands even for a second. If his heart wasn't so hardened, he might have found it romantic, albeit ironic that his and Mary's clones were in love.  
"So I guess that whole spiel George fed me about my organs being in an amniotic sac was just a bunch of lies," he stated.  
"I'm sorry...but it's true. There are many more like us. They were going to take Snow's and I couldn't let them do that. So we escaped," Charming explained.  
"Snow?" he asked.  
"My name is Snow White," she said. This made James chuckle in amusement.  
"Why does everyone laugh when I tell them my name?" she whispered to Charming.  
"Because Snow White is a fairy tale," James interjected. Snow cocked her head to the side, her face a mask of confusion.  
"Snow White is a fictional story. About a Princess trying to escape the Evil Queen. She eats a poison apple and then is awakened with true love's kiss by her prince," James explained.  
"Let me guess...you're Prince Charming," he mused.  
"Umm...I'm not a Prince. Just Charming," the other replied. James chuckled again.  
"George has a sense of humor," he stated.  
"So you and...Snow escaped and came here," James continued.  
"We were told that finding our...sponsors and alerting them to the truth might be the only way to stay alive," Charming said.  
"You were told right then," James replied, as he turned back to them. Snow and Charming exchanged a glance.  
"You'll help us?" she asked.  
"I just need to make a few calls. Then we'll get you two out of the country," he replied. They smiled at each other.  
"Thank you," Charming said, as James took out his phone and walked into the other room.

"Don't think me yet," he muttered, as the receptionist at the Misthaven Research facility answered.  
"Yes...this is James Nolan. I need to speak to Mr. Spencer immediately. It's urgent," James stated.  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Spencer has asked not to be disturbed. Can I take a message?" she asked.  
"Yes...you can ask him why two of his clones are sitting in my fucking living room," James growled. There was silence on the other.  
"I'll...I'll patch you through to Mr. Spencer right away," she stammered.

~*~

Mr. Gold got out of his car and limped toward the building with the aide of his cane.  
"Mr. Gold...I'm Jacqueline, Mr. Spencer's assistant. I'm afraid he is busy dealing with a situation," she greeted him.  
"That's just as well. I know my way around," he replied.  
"Mr. Spencer doesn't usually let visitors have free run of the facility," she reminded.  
"And yet I am no ordinary visitor, as I'm sure he has told you. That will be all, Ms...Jack," he said, leaving her behind. The Black Knights parted for him as well, giving him a wide berth, as he entered the facility. Gold stepped into the elevator and took it down into the bowels of the facility, all while observing the day to day workings of the facility. Once the elevator touched down, the doors slid open and he hobbled into the stark white hallways of the laboratory until he reached the end of the corridor. The door before him opened and he observed the hundreds of pods, filled with amniotic fluid and human clones in various stages of development. He came to stand next to the other figure also observing and they stood in companionable silence for several moments.

"Do you have it?" Gold asked. His counterpart let out a shrill giggle.  
"I've done my part, dearie. Have you done yours?" Rumple asked.  
"Oh yes...they are on the path we have laid out for them," Gold replied.  
"And the product?" Gold asked.  
"She's here...with the Blanchard woman. They're worried...the clock is ticking and soon, not even Snow White's organs can save her," Rumple replied.  
"It is unfortunate. She is a nice woman, but her purpose has been served," Gold stated. Rumple reached in his jacket pocket and produced a vial with a blonde colored hair inside.  
"I assume you managed to do your part?" Rumple asked.  
"One hair from Snow White," Gold said, as he dropped the hair in the vial.  
"To be joined with one from her Prince Charming," Rumple said, as they watched the hairs entwine and glow with a pink light.  
"True love in a bottle," Rumple mused.  
"The most powerful magic of all," Gold added.  
"Then it's time…" Rumple said, as he extracted a wavy dagger from his jacket pocket, along with another bluish potion. Gold took the dagger and the bluish potion.  
"And you're sure this is the opposite of the separating potion?" Gold asked. Rumple giggled.  
"Guaranteed to rejoin your Jekyll side with my Hyde," he joked. With that, Gold poured the bluish potion over the dagger and held it before Rumple. The potion coated dagger glowed and Rumple became nothing more than tiny particles, as Gold absorbed his "clone" back into his own being. He slipped the dagger and the pinkish potion back into his suit jacket and turned back toward the elevator. Everything was falling into place.

~*~

George slammed the phone down, an evil smirk marring his face. Those two idiots had just walked into their own demise. They had gone to James Nolan of all people for help and he had turned right around and called him.  
He had already called Lance and ordered him to kill Charming, promising Mr. Nolan he would grow him a new clone, free of charge. Then Lance would be bringing Snow White back and there would still be time to save Miss Blanchard. He chuckled.  
"I hope you enjoyed your little adventure, Snow and Charming," he hissed.

~*~

James had led them to a guest bedroom and bath, so they could freshen up. He offered some of Mary's clothes to Snow and his own to Charming for a change.  
"Um...I'm going to take a shower," Snow said, as she bit her bottom lip.  
"Okay...I'll take my turn after you," he replied. But she took his hand and he looked up at her, finding desire lidded emerald eyes searing into him.  
"I'd much rather you join me," she leered, as she led him into the large bathroom with her. He pressed her up against the closed door and kissed her passionately. She broke the kiss, just long enough to lift her arms and let him divest her of her blouse. His lips crashed against hers again and her nimble fingers undid the buttons on his flannel shirt. It fell to a puddle at his feet and her hands slid down his shredded torso to his belt. Charming's lips traveled down her her neck, nipping feverishly and slowly making his way to her breasts. She pushed his jeans down and he kicked them away, as he resumed his conquest on her body. His hands gripped her hips and slid sensually up her taut abdomen, until his hands became filled with her breasts, still hidden from him by her bra. She gasped and writhed against him, her back arching against the door.

_Snowing_

"Charming…" she cried, as she felt the growing arousal between her legs. She yelped, as he turned her over and she panted rapidly, as he snapped the clasp on her bra and then slid his hand down to her underwear. She moaned and grinded her ass against the bulge in his boxers. He growled and slid her underwear down her shapely legs.  
"Oh Gods…" she cried, as he dipped two fingers into the wet folds of her sex.  
"Shower…" she uttered, as he tossed her bra away and kissed at her breasts, while slowly backing her toward the shower. She fumbled with the door and then the knobs, turning on the water.  
"Ahh…" she cried, as he pressed his fingers against her clit.  
"So beautiful…" he rasped, as he worshiped her breasts with his mouth. She stepped into the shower and he ripped his boxers away, before following her in. Steam rose around the entwined bodies and she cried out in excitement, as he lifted her against the shower wall and plunged inside her. She hooked her ankles around his waist, as he began moving inside her, thrusting hot and deeply.  
"Oh Charming…" she cried, as he made love to her intensely for several long moments. He watched, mesmerized, as she came and fell apart around him. He continued to search for his own climax, while Snow planted repeated, loving kisses on his face, his lips, and his neck. A few more sharp thrusts and he came too, sending them collapsing together against the shower wall.

_Snowing_

She smiled at him and they exchanged several more tender kisses, before they started to sensually soap each other and get clean. As they dried off in the bedroom, he held her close and love shined in their eyes. There was no doubt any longer. This was true love.  
Snow finished putting on a clean pair of black leggings and a long stylish white tunic with a thin black belt around her waist. As he was putting on his boxers and clean jeans that James had offered, he managed to notice two black vehicles pull up on the street and several men get out.  
"Snow...we have trouble," he warned, as she came beside him and saw what he was seeing.  
"He lied to us…" he growled.  
"What are we going to do?" she asked fearfully. He looked at the blue button down shirt he had laying out on the bed, but then went to the closet and picked a black one instead. It was the same shirt James happened to be wearing and he quickly put it on. He took her hand and they sneaked out to the foyer, as Lance walked into the house. He had ordered his men to stay outside, probably to prevent them from running.  
"Good...it's about time you got here," James grumbled, as he downed another glass of scotch. As Snow and Charming crept toward the living room, they passed another liquor tray and he carefully poured a glass of scotch.  
"Stay here," he whispered.  
"Charming…be careful," she whispered back, as he waltzed into the room.

"There he is," James hissed, as he pointed at his counterpart. Charming held his breath and gulped the glass of liquor down. It was awful, but he managed to drink it convincingly.  
"He's lying. That's Charming…" he accused. James looked at him in disbelief and then chuckled in amusement.  
"That's cute...you really think you can convince him that you're me?" he challenged. Charming was eternally grateful that Snow had insisted they read up on James Nolan.  
"I am James Nolan, CEO of Nolan Technologies. I was born on a farm, poor as dirt, to Ruth and Robert Nolan," Charming said. James scoffed.  
"He's just reciting my life! You can get this crap from Google!" James shouted.  
"I believe you're here for this, Mr. Knight, is it?" Charming asked, as he pulled Snow into the room.  
"What the hell...he's not me!" James cried.  
"If you don't get her back to that research facility, the mother of my child is going to die," Charming spat. James looked panicked now.  
"Damn you…" James cursed, as Lance's gun wavered between the two.  
"Shoot him...I'm the real James!" James cried.  
"He's just saying that so you'll shoot me and he can save his precious Snow White!" Charming shouted back. Lance's gun wavered back and forth a few more times and Snow screamed, as he took his shot. James fell dead to the floor and then the gun was leveled at them.

"You're not very convincing, Charming," Lance stated.  
"You knew?" he asked. Lance smirked.  
"You may look alike, but your eyes are much too kind to pass as James Nolan. In my days as a mercenary, I have found the eyes are a dead giveaway to the soul," Lance replied.  
"Then why did you shoot him?" Charming asked.  
"I'm afraid the moral dilemma that George Spencer has presented me with is one I cannot ignore," Lance stated.  
"And as noble as I would like to seem, I have also been paid twice as much by another source to make sure you two survive," he added.  
"By who?" Snow asked.  
"Mr. Gold of course. And you may not believe me, but I wouldn't have been able to go through with letting George enact the plan he has in store for you both, even without the money Mr. Gold paid me, " Lance replied.  
"Then that's why we have to go back there," Snow stated.  
"Snow?" Charming asked in disbelief.  
"Charming...we can't leave our friends to that kind of fate. We have to take George down," she replied. He smirked.  
"You want to take back the compound?" he asked. She smirked back.  
"There is a corrupt King that needs to be dethroned. Let's take back his Kingdom and free our people," she replied. He smiled and kissed her tenderly.  
"Is Miss Blanchard at the facility?" Snow asked. Lance nodded.  
"She is...and I'm afraid that even if I really were to offer you up, it is likely even a transplant at this point wouldn't work," he replied. Snow felt bad. If Leroy was right, Mary Margaret Blanchard was a nice woman. But it also meant their daughter...their baby girl that was stolen from them was there too.

"Charming...she's there too. Emma...our baby," Snow said.  
"We'll find her," he assured. Lance looked between them.  
"Wait...the child is yours?" he asked. Snow nodded.  
"George tried to wipe our memories of our time together, but we've been having dreams. Emma is ours. I think Mary Margaret wanted a child, but she was too sick to conceive. That's where we came in," Snow explained.  
"Then I think we had better be on our way. I think I have a plan. Do you think you can pull off pretending to be James Nolan?" Lance asked. Charming nodded.  
"Enough to get us in," he assured. Lance nodded and led the pair out to his vehicle. He didn't need to alert his men to the plan. They would follow whatever order he gave without question. Snow and Charming gripped each other's hands tightly, as they drove off. It was time to stop running and stand against the tyrant that threatened their lives...


	5. Free

The Enchanted Island

Chapter 5: Free

George waited smugly, as the two black sport utility vehicles pulled up to his facility. Lance had informed him that he was successful. Snow was in custody and Charming was dead. In addition, Lance was escorting Mr. Nolan as well. They would be taking more samples free of charge and beginning the process of creating a new clone.

Smartly dressed as expected, James Nolan stepped out of the front seat of Lance's vehicle and removed his sunglasses.

"Mr. Nolan, let me just offer my deepest apologies for this unfortunate occurrence and inconvenience," he said, as they shook hands.

"I just hope this won't take more than an hour or so. I'm a busy man, Mr. Spencer," James said curtly.

"Of course, we won't waste any more time. This way," he gestured, as Lance pulled Snow out of the vehicle. The girl looked positively broken and her hands were bound with zip ties.

"You've caused quite the ruckus, my dear. You nearly cost me everything," he hissed, as he raised her chin with his finger.

"They killed Charming…" she cried, as she shrugged his touch away in disgust.

"Yes and now you shall join him in death. There is no time to lose. Get her prepped for surgery immediately," George called to his orderlies.

"She's a slippery one. Perhaps I should escort her to pre-op," Lance suggested. George glanced at him with a scrutinizing stare. One girl shouldn't have be a problem for the orderlies, yet this is also the one that had managed to help cause all this.

"I think that would be very good idea. We can't have her slipping away again," he agreed, as Lance marched her forward.

"This way, Mr. Nolan," he gestured, as he led the billionaire playboy to a private exam room to collect his new samples.

Though Charming knew he was identical in DNA to James Nolan, Lance had warned him that once they got as far as the entrance to the client side of the clinic, he would have to pass through the routine body scanner that each person entering the facility had to go through. Because he was a clone, the microchip that identified each clone would automatically set the machine off. He would have to be ready. Fortunately, because he was thought to be James Nolan at that point, the Black Knights were left behind once he entered the sophisticated, luxurious waiting room.

"Mr. Nolan, this way please, and we'll get your samples collected as quickly as possible so you can be on your way," a gentleman in a white coat said. Charming followed him and knew the moment he passed into this room, he would have to take out every person in it to avoid capture.

The physician stepped through the body scanner and a green light flashed on the technician's screen. Charming's eyes scanned the room, looking for anything that could be used as a weapon. It was a stark, white room and knew these two would be fairly easy to subdue. Fortunately, hand to hand combat was something Charming was extremely well versed in. He had never desired to kill, but he knew it might come down to that. He had already decided that he would do whatever he had to in order to save and protect Snow. And then there was the daughter that had been stolen from them too. It was because of these people that he missed being with Snow as she gave birth. It was because of them that he had never held her and for that reason, none of these people would receive any mercy from him.

He stepped through the scanner and saw the red light glow on the unfortunate technician's screen. He turned to Charming with wide eyes and had no time to press the alert, before Charming regrettably smashed his face into his desk. He was an underling and would survive. The doctor cried out briefly, before Charming knocked him into the wall and punched him out. He searched his person and found his access card, quickly pocketing it, just as two Black Knights burst into the room. Charming hit one with a metal chair, dropping him instantly, before trading blows with the other. He managed to knee him in the gut and then got behind him. He snapped the guard's head to the side, snapping his neck and dropping him. He didn't have gun training, but Lance's men had showed him the basic operation of the weapon on the way. He also grabbed the guard's taser and nightstick, before hurrying into the hallway. He crept along for several corridors and made his way to the white corridors that led to the rooms where he had seen the horror that had befallen Milah and Gus. That's when the compound's red alert sounded. He hurried down the hall and saw Snow be ushered out of the pre-op room by Lance.

"Charming…" she called, as she rushed to him.

"Can you rally the Clones?" Lance asked.

"If we can destroy the holograms that make the rest of them think the outside is toxic, I think so," he said.

"Go...my men and I will give you cover," Lance said. Charming took Snow's hand and they ran toward the stairwell and up toward the upper levels of the facility. Black Knights stood in their way of the control room, but their years of hand to hand combat training they had done for physical exercise was about to contribute to their success. He handed one of the nightsticks to her and took the other, as they started fighting their way through the armed guards. Snow took out several, but one managed to get her in a headlock. She bit his arm and stomped his foot, allowing Charming to jam the taser into his gut, dropping him instantly. Snow practically tackled him to the ground then, as one let loose with a spray of bullets. Charming pulled the gun and aimed as he had been shown, firing six rounds and dropping the rest of the guards in their way. They climbed to their feet and joined hands again, as they walked into the room where George always made his lottery announcements from. It also controlled the holograms that showed them all a ruined world filled with toxic gases that had long convinced all the residents to never question what was on the outside. Snow pressed the comm button and watched, as golden light bathed the gathered Clones below the tower and immediately put them on the large viewing screens.

"Fellow survivors...we have been deceived by our King," Snow announced, causing commotion to erupt among them.

"Every survivor that our King has chosen to go to the Enchanted Island is dead!" she announced, causing alarm. They weren't surprised to hear banging on the tower door that Charming had jammed shut when they entered.

"There is no Enchanted Island and the only way for us to survive is to rise against our oppressors! There is no contamination!" she announced, as Charming spent two bullets on the panels that controlled the holograms. They sparked and revealed the real images on the outside. And the other clones became captivated by the trees and wildlife they witnessed in the forest that lay just beyond the compound. When the Black Knights moved into the room below, they clutched each other's hands and watched the other Clones attack and begin to subdue them with sheer numbers. Charming took her hand and led her to the tower's other exit, just as more Black Knights poured into the control room. He led her up to the top spire and through the hatch on the roof. The final step was to use the control panel on the roof to open all the outer exits in the underground partition of compound to free everyone. But the ricochet of a bullet off one of the metal spires caused them to take cover. They saw it was George that had followed them, seething with rage.

"Did you really think you could ruin me and I'd let you get your 'happy ending'?" he hissed, as he leveled the gun at them.

"On your knees, Charming or I shoot her in the head," George ordered. Charming put his hands up and did as he asked.

"You can kill me...just let Snow go," Charming said.

"No...please…" Snow pleaded.

"Neither of you are leaving here alive," George growled, as he waved the gun between them. Charming used this to rush him and tackle him to the ground. Snow screamed, as the gun went off and the two men rolled around, Charming punched the older man, but the evil tyrant hit the younger in the head with the butt of the gun. George climbed to his feet and cocked the gun, preparing to shoot him. But he didn't see Snow coming, as she beamed him in the head with the nightstick. He dropped to the ground and she got the gun away, leveling it shakily at the old man. The old man grabbed Charming and pulled him up, using him as a human shield.

"I don't think you'll pull that trigger now that I have your precious Charming in the line of fire," he hissed. Snow didn't lower the gun, but she didn't move either.

"Drop the gun or I choke him," George hissed, as he put Charming in a headlock. A tear slipped down her cheek, as her hands trembled.

"Do it stupid girl," George snapped, as Charming gasped for air.

"Please...don't hurt him," she pleaded, as she put the gun down. George chuckled evilly and grabbed a loose cord from one of the ruined control panels, quickly wrapping it around Charming's neck.

"Kick the gun over here," he ordered.

"Please stop choking him!" Snow cried.

"Kick the gun over here, princess or I pull this cord so tight that it will crush his airway," George threatened.

"Snow...get out of here...find Emma…" he rasped.

"I won't leave you…" she cried, shaking her head in vehemence. She fixated her eyes on his and watched his eyes glance toward the edge. Then she nodded in understanding. She did as George asked and kicked the gun, but purposely too hard. George's grip slackened, as he clamored after the weapon, giving Charming the opening he needed. He reversed their positions and wrapped the cord around George's neck, tying and then kicked him over the edge. There was a sickening crack, as the old tyrant's neck snapped and he hung dead by the cord that was still attached to the console. Charming sighed in relief and Snow ran to him, as she threw her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair. Tears poured from her eyes, as she planted kisses all over his face and lips.

"Shh...my darling, it's okay. It's over," he assured, as she sobbed against him.

"I thought I was going to lose you," she sniffed.

"I know...but Snow, we won," he said, as he kissed her tenderly. Charming lifted the lever and opened all the inner doors. She grinned, as they saw all their people pouring out of the compound below.

"We won...we're free…" she realized, as her eyes sparkled like emeralds. He laughed and picked up her, spinning her around, as their lips met again with searing passion.

It was then that Snow gasped and pulled back.

"Emma…" she exclaimed. He smiled and caressed her cheek.

"Let's go get our baby," he agreed, but her face fell slightly.

"What is it?" he asked.

"My...counterpart. I need to see her first...she's a nice woman and she loves Emma. She deserves to know the truth and that Emma will be okay," she replied. He smiled and kissed her tenderly.

"You are such a wonderful person. You are going to be the most amazing mother," he told her. She looked down shyly.

"I don't know...I never had a mother. How can I be a good one?" she asked.

"Love...it's the most important thing you can have. We have it," he replied.

"True love," she agreed.

"I never had parents either, but I certainly want to learn and I know I can do that with you by my side," he replied. She smiled.

"We'll do it together," she agreed.

~*~

Snow arrived in the room and stared at the frail woman in the bed with fascination. As she stepped inside, Mary turned her head and her eyes widened in surprise.

"So...you're where they've been keeping my viable organs," she stated, which surprised Mary.

"You knew?" Snow asked.

"Not for sure, but I've always had this feeling that more went on here than George would ever tell. It's just easier for people to think their organs are just sitting in some lab waiting for them than to think they are walking around inside real, healthy people," Mary mused.

"None of this is fair. You don't deserve to die," Snow said.

"Neither do you," Mary agreed, as Snow sat beside her bed and Mary noticed her fascination with her sleeping daughter on the cot nearby.

"She's yours, isn't she?" Mary asked. Snow's eyes widened and the memories flashed through her.

"I...I have dreams sometimes. I'm with Charming...and we're so happy and in love," she said, a blush coloring her cheeks. Mary smiled indulgently.

"And then I have dreams of a baby, but they never let me hold her," Snow added sadly.

"Charming...he must be…" she started to say.

"James' counterpart…" Snow answered.

"Does he love you?" Mary asked curiously and by the way Snow lit up like a Christmas tree at that question, she knew the answer.

"Oh yes...he's wonderful. He loves me so much; sometimes too much I worry," Snow answered.

"Never too much. You're very lucky. Somehow I knew the minute they put Emma in my arms that she wasn't grown in some laboratory. Nothing that precious could come from anything but true love," Mary said. Tears slipped down Snow's cheeks. The dreams, they were memories; memories they had tried to steal away from her and Charming. But nothing, not even their drugs and programming, could tear asunder a love like theirs.

"James loved me...I know he did, even if he had trouble showing it. But there were things he could never let go of; things that always got in the way of love. His drinking, his money...he would have never been the father Emma needs," she said sadly.

"I'm sorry," Snow said tearfully.

"Don't be. I love my little girl, but I will be at peace knowing that she'll be where she belongs," Mary said, looking into her identical green eyes.

"But you…" Snow stammered.

"I'm dying Snow...nothing can change that now," Mary accepted.

"But I can...I mean, I don't want to die, but I'm just a clone," Snow cried.

"No...you are a person. You may have been created from me, but you are your own woman. You are Emma's mother as much as I am. What George did to you and Charming...to everyone here is horrible and I sincerely hope he burns in hell," Mary said, as she took Snow's hands.

"Emma needs her parents now...more than ever. Please, take care of my little girl. Be happy with your Charming. Take them away from this place. Find somewhere to live your lives, promise me," Mary pleaded. Snow nodded and sniffed.

"I promise. There is a little town Charming and I passed through," she said. Mary smiled.

"Tell me about it...I want to hear about the place my little girl will grow," Mary said. She was fading fast and Snow knew there was only moments. Even if she had sacrificed herself for Mary, it would have been too late. The acceptance in Mary's eyes allowed Snow to let go of any misplaced guilt.

"It was wonderful. There was a clock tower near the center of the square and below it a library. I'll be able to take Emma there to read wonderful stories. Then there was a park and it had the most wonderful playground shaped like a castle. It will be the perfect place for our princess Emma to play," Snow said and Mary smiled.

"There was a lake too where she can go with her daddy to feed the ducks. And a quaint little diner where we can have hot chocolate with cinnamon…" Snow said. And as Mary faded away, she could see it all. She could see her baby flourish with Snow and Charming. She could see her smile and hear her laughter. As she flat lined, Mary Margaret Blanchard left this world with a smile on her face. She would be at peace and find James in the life after this. James had never been at peace in life, but Mary sincerely hoped that death would be different for them.

Snow cried for a woman she felt she barely knew, but at the same time seemed like her best friend. It was sometime later, after the nurse quietly pulled the sheet over Mary's body, that she felt Charming's hand on her shoulder. She stood up and eagerly fell into his arms, as he folded her against his chest and kissed her hair.

"I'm so sorry, my darling," he soothed. She sniffed.

"She was at peace," she said.

"The compound has been completely liberated. I told Lance about the town we passed through. He said it's severally underpopulated and on the verge of closing down completely. He thinks it's a good place for everyone to go," he explained. She nodded.

"Then he's not turning this over to the authorities?" she asked hopefully.

"No...he said that if he does, none of us will ever see the light of day again. Rumpelstiltskin says once we're in Storybrooke, we'll be safe from the outside world again. But this time, we'll be free," he replied. She nodded.

"Charming...I remember everything. Not just flashes anymore, but I remembered everything when I saw Mary. How we met...all the times we loved …" she started to say.

"I have flashes too. Do you think I'll remember everything?" he asked. She nodded, as she kissed him passionately. He kissed her back just as passionately, moving his lips over hers almost feverishly. George was a fool to ever think he could destroy a love like theirs. As their lips moved together, Charming saw it all flashing through his mind. No more hazy, scattered pieces, but clear and complete memories.

"Snow...oh Snow…" he uttered, as he kissed her again.

"Mommy?" they heard a tiny voice, which pulled them apart.

"Emma…" he started to say. Snow nodded.

"Emma...I remember everything now. After they separated us, they kept me isolated and I gave birth to her. Then they took her away," Snow sobbed.

"Shh...no one is ever taking her again from you or me," he promised.

"Daddy?" they heard the tiny voice say again. Snow wiped her tears away and picked up their little girl. Emma was much too young to understand that they weren't exactly the two people she had known so far in her very short life, being only a little over a year old, after all. Snow knew it was better this way. Someday, they would try to explain everything to her. But they were her real parents and would now be there for all of her milestones.

"Go home mommy?" Emma asked.

"Yes baby...we're going home. But it's a new home," Snow said.

"Daddy come?" she asked, looking at Charming with big green eyes. He was well aware that James didn't do right by Emma and Mary, but he must have shown their little girl enough affection that she still looked at him as her father.

"Yes baby...Daddy's coming too and he's never ever going to leave you and Mommy," he promised. With that, Emma held her little arms out to him and Snow smiled, as he took their little girl in his arms. She watched the exact moment Charming melted, as Emma laid her head against his chest.

~*~

"Papa!" a small voice called through the smoke and flames. He raised his hand, trying in vain to reach his child. But there was a figure there in the smoke that snatched his child away.

"Bae!" he cried, as the sweltering flames threatened to consume him.

Mr. Gold surveyed his new town with pleased scrutiny. Once he purchased it, the sparse residents that occupied it cleared out easily enough once he bought them out of their properties. The town was his now, mostly empty, save for a few residents like Leroy and Astrid, who knew the truth and weren't a danger to telling the outside world. And the new residents would be arriving shortly.

It had been a long journey to get to this point and there was one more resident he had to be rid of; the one that had caused all this in the first place. She was also the founder of this little spot of a town and the one that would now pay for everything she had done. To twist the knife further, he would make sure she knew it was he that was taking away her little town, which she had run into the ground and laundered millions of dollars running her underground child slavery ring.

Everything he had done culminated to this moment. This woman had taken everything from him and he was about to get it all back.

The fire that night, three years ago, had been a terrible accident, thanks to her tampering with his potions.

Many of the judgmental former residents thought him to be a quack, as he engaged in experiments that seemed to blur the lines between magic and science. But he knew that many things that were now considered science were at one time thought to be impossible and therefore labeled as magic or witchcraft in less sophisticated times. His son was stolen from him that night and he was left with burns on almost one hundred percent of his body, leaving him akin to a scaly monster.

That was how met George Albert Spencer when his mother had contracted him to provide skin grafts for his entire body. He remembered those early days in the hospital bed where she said what had happened to him was for his own good and to show him that he needed her. He remembered begging to see his little Baelfire and she made promises that he would in exchange for his cooperation. How he hated that time under her complete control and he swore she would pay.

He had no control over anything at that point, but befriended the doctor that was growing his skin grafts. Dr. Jekyll was brilliant and shared his research with him. He believed the serum he had developed that was regrowing his skin from within his own body could be modified to create life as a separate entity from the original. His serum was used in George's cloning process to accelerate the results, but Jekyll had ambition to take it further and was always searching for the right ingredient to engineer instantaneous cloning. Sadly, Jekyll never discovered that ingredient and supposedly threw himself out his apartment window. It was ruled a suicide, but Rumple knew better. George had the serum and couldn't risk Jekyll sharing his research with the academic community.

Fortunately, Rumple had copied that serum and realized that the missing ingredient; an ingredient that had truly blurred the lines between science and magic. And that was when he set his entire plan into motion. Now, the woman that had caused all this would pay.

"So it's true," a female voice said, as he turned to find that his two hired hands had brought the defunct Mayor of Storybrooke to see him.

"Very true, dearie," he hissed back.

"Now Rumple, is that any way to speak to your mommy dearest?" Fiona chided.

"You can drop the innocent act. You are fooling no one, mother," he retorted.

"Oh my dear Rumple, I've only ever tried to do what's best for you," she cooed.

"What's best for me? You tampered with my potions and stole my son, while letting me burn alive. Oh, and you sell children," he hissed.

"It was never supposed to go that far. I was trying to teach you a lesson. That fire was not supposed to get out of hand," she mused.

"Oh, well that makes it better now doesn't? But now...you're finally going to lose everything just as I did," he growled. She smirked.

"I'll admit, I underestimated you. Having your own clone undermine George's entire operation from within was genius. Just think of all we could do together, son," she tempted.

"This town would be just the beginning of the empire we could create in this world," she added.

"The only world I'm interested in living in is...one without you," he hissed, as he thrust a wavy bladed dagger into her heart and Fiona fell dead to the ground.

"Burn the body. I want nothing but ash to remain," he ordered the hired hands. He turned and left, venturing back into town.

He entered the library beneath the clock tower and saw a little boy sitting at a table, reading a book.

"Papa?" he asked, as he looked up. Rumple smiled.

"Bae…" he cried.

"Papa!" the little boy called, as he ran to him and Rumple lifted him into his arms.

"Oh Rumpelstiltskin...you're back," Belle called, as she walked around her cart of books.

"Hello Belle," he greeted.

"This library is wonderful, I don't know how to thank you for such a generous gift," Belle replied.

"Granny is opening her diner here in town. Perhaps you'd like to join me and Baelfire," he requested. She nodded.

"I'd like that," she agreed.

We just have the epilogue left! Look for it soon!


	6. Epilogue

The Enchanted Island

Epilogue

Snow and Charming observed their new home, as Lance drove them personally to the place they had determined all the Clones would go. Rumpelstiltskin had promised this place would be safe from the outside world. The car stopped and they saw their fellow Clones milling about, living their new lives, free at last.

They got out of the car and saw Regina approaching them.

"It's about time you two idiots got here," she quipped.

"It's nice to see you too, Regina. You're welcome, by the way. You know, since we're the reason you have your freedom," Charming quipped back.

"What do you want? A medal? I was hoping you'd settle for a badge," she retorted, as she handed him a star.

"Sheriff?" he asked and Snow smiled at him.

"Like you said, you two helped make this happen, though we all know Rumpelstiltskin pulled all the right strings. I figured you'd be the right person to entrust my town's protection to," Regina replied.

"Your town?" he asked. She smirked.

"You're a little slow, aren't you, Charming?" she teased.

"I am the new Mayor of Storybrooke," she announced.

"Why you? I think Snow should lead us," Charming protested and she squeezed his hand.

"Rumpelstiltskin offered the post to me, but I declined it," Snow answered.

"But why? You'd be amazing at it," he told her and she smiled.

"Thank you...but I decided that I wanted a job with a few less hours and something more focused on educating our people. You remember what Lance told us. Many of our people are severally under educated," she reminded.

"You want to teach?" he asked in admiration. She nodded.

"And spend as much time with Emma as possible," she added, as she brushed her hand through Emma's blonde locks. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her lips tenderly, making Regina roll her eyes.

"I think that's wonderful and noble," he told her.

"Mommy...I'm hungry," Emma cooed, as her parents smiled at her.

"We can't have that," David said, as he tickled her tummy.

"Granny's is up the road," Regina directed and Snow turned to her.

"Would you like to join us?" she asked. Regina was surprised by the offer for a moment and then smiled gently.

"I suppose that wouldn't be terrible," she agreed.

They arrived and found the diner bustling with their peers, while Granny greeted them warmly.

"You two...anything you want and it's on the house," she said.

"Thanks Granny...we'll have whatever you think we'd like, I guess," David said.

"Two specials it is. This...must be Emma," she said fondly, as the little girl hid her face shyly on her mother's chest.

"It is...I can still hardly believe she's ours," Snow said fondly, as David put his arm around her.

"I have something for her," Granny said, as she bustled behind the counter and then pulled out a white blanket.

"I started working on this a while ago...I really wasn't sure why, but now I think I know," she said, as she handed it to Snow.

"I never knew you were pregnant, but something tells me I sensed it. I found it when I was packing my things to come here and added the ribbon and name this morning," the elderly woman said.

"Oh Granny...it's wonderful. Thank you," Snow said.

"It is...thank you," David agreed, as Emma took interest in the blanket and cuddled it close, giving Granny a smile.

"I bet this one would like some hot cocoa cinnamon?" she asked. Snow nodded.

"I think all three of us could use a cup," she agreed, as they found a booth with Regina. Snow watched fondly, as Emma climbed into her father's lap and he held her contently. And the sight nearly stole Snow's breath away, as she watched him blow on the hot drink for her and carefully helped her sip at it. For someone who had lamented about knowing nothing about being a father, he was an absolute natural. It made her heart fuller than she ever imagined possible and she knew, more than ever, at that very moment, that this was their happily ever after. Only it wasn't an ending, but rather just the beginning.

In the months to come, Storybrooke settled and truly became a home for the former residents of the Misthaven Research Facility. For the first time, they all felt like real people allowed to lead real lives, despite the fact that they might never actually interact with the outside world. Snow thought that was for the best, having experienced the dangers of it first hand.

Regina, proving that she was truly like a Queen, reigned as Mayor and though she was loathe to admit it, became good friends with Snow and Charming.

Snow found that she adored teaching her adult classes and knew, years down the road, that there would be children for her to teach, including her own. With freedom and education had come awareness among their residents, including the sexual awareness that she and Charming had discovered long before. Needless to say, Storybrooke was growing and soon had many babies. One of the doctors from the facility had decided to come with them. Rumpelstiltskin had agreed in exchange for his absolute silence and as a result, Dr. Whale was able to escape something called a loan shark. She had looked into it and found that a loan shark was someone who gave money to cover various debts, but could be dangerous if the money was not repaid.

As for Red, she had found work with Granny at the diner and love in Mulan. Hook became their Harbor Master, and Rumpelstiltskin married Belle, who was now their librarian. She and Mary had become fast friends over their love of books and learning.

Two years after they had come to Storybrooke, Snow and Charming were blessed with twins, a boy and a girl, who they named Aiden and Carina.

Snow and Charming continued to teach and Sheriff the town respectively. But their greatest joy was being together and raising their babies. And they would never take such for granted, for they knew how they had almost lost everything. But because of their courage to defy and face the unknown and their love, they won their happily ever after, true to their fairy tale names. There may have not been an Enchanted Island, but Snow and Charming's lives together in Storybrooke truly were full of love and magic...


End file.
